Foreword

The Library of Congress occupies an important crossroads in American life, a place where the nation’s political and literary cultures intersect. Created by Congress in 1800, it is the major research arm of the US Congress, as well as the nation’s copyright agency and the world’s largest library. Since the opening of its Jefferson Building in 1897, it has served as America’s de facto national library, a multifaceted cultural institution, an international leader in library and copyright matters, and an important innovator and partner in electronic and digital network development.

The Library’s unparalleled book, manuscript, music, map, sound recording, television, film, and graphic arts collections are the heart of the institution. The Library holds some of the world’s largest collections, from sheet music to comic books; founding documents like Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence; the full papers of 23 presidents; and the works of eminent Americans such as Samuel Morse, Frederick Douglass, Clara Barton, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Hope, and Thurgood Marshall. Just as important as the collections is the Library’s unsurpassed staff, comprised of dedicated specialists and skilled and loyal individuals who each year respond to millions of requests and visitors, both in person and online.

In America’s Greatest Library, John Y. Cole highlights the history, personalities, collections, and events that have created and sustained this unusual institution. Most importantly, the Library could not have flourished without the continuous support provided by the US Congress since the Library’s creation in 1800. Its purchase in 1815 of Thomas Jefferson’s wide-ranging personal library became the foundation of the modern Library of Congress. The Jeffersonian concept of a universal library covering all subjects is the basis of the Library’s comprehensive collecting policies. Jefferson’s belief that democracy depends on free access to knowledge eventually ensured the availability of the Library’s rich collections and extensive services not only to Congress, but also to the nation and to the entire world. Simply put, the Library of Congress is one of the greatest gifts and legacies the Congress has given to the American people.

The vision of a national library to serve members of Congress and the communities they represent continues the legacy of my 13 predecessors as Librarian of Congress. For over 200 years, each librarian’s experiences and contributions reflected the country’s social and historical landscape and advanced the progress of this library. Over time these leaders have expanded the scope of materials collected, advocated successfully to bring the federal copyright system here, and overseen construction of the facilities necessary to house and preserve the collections and the services offered here.

It feels like yesterday that I began my career at a store-front branch of the Chicago Public Library. Forty years later, it is an honor to lead one of the greatest institutions of our nation, and of the world. As a descendant of people who were denied the right to read, to now have the opportunity to serve and lead the institution that is our national symbol of knowledge is a historic moment for which I am grateful.

The 6th Librarian of Congress Ainsworth Rand Spofford famously called the Library “the book palace of the American people” when the Jefferson Building opened in 1897. But the Library of Congress is so much more than beautiful architecture wrapped around bookshelves. It is, in fact, the second part of Spofford’s quote—used less often—that is truly powerful: the Library, he said, is “the book palace of the American people in which you all have equal rights with me . . . in which the works of all of you will be welcomed and forever preserved.”

The Library of Congress is a place where we grow scholars, where we inspire young authors, where we connect with those individuals outside the limits of Washington and help them make history themselves. This is a place where you can touch history and imagine your future. I invite you to visit the Library of Congress—through this book and our other publications, in person, or through the Internet. There never has been a library—or an institution—quite like it.

Carla D. Hayden
Librarian of Congress

4. The ceiling of the Reading Room in the Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building.