Books for Congress

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On April 24, 1800, the second president of the U.S. President John Adams approved $5,000 to be used to purchase books for Congress. The first books for the Library of Congress arrived from London in 1801. There were 740 volumes and three maps and they were all stored in the U.S. Capitol. The third president of the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson made plans to expand the library. The Library of Congress celebrated its 200th anniversary on April 24, 2000. During the two centuries that this library has been in service, it has served not only Congress but also the public. The library is now housed in two buildings and includes over 130 million items. There are books, manuscripts, prints, photos, maps, music, video and sound recordings and digital material. Has anyone been to the Library of Congress? Photo of the library