About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress contains over 147 million works of literature. It is the largest library in the world and contains over 6,000 books from Thomas Jefferson's personal collection. However, not much is known about its history or the role it plays in the American government. The collections of books embody the ideals of the founding fathers and America itself from its construction to date.
The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States. The first library was constructed in 1800, but was destroyed shortly after in a British invasion where they burned many of the buildings in Washington DC. However, shortly after it was destroyed, Thomas Jefferson offered his personal collection of books to the library, being a firm believer that Congress and America should be free to access whatever information they wished as well as being in a considerable amount of debt.
There are three buildings of the Library of Congress: the Jefferson, the Madison and Adams the buildings, as well as the Packard Campus in Virginia which holds audio-visual collections. The most famous one is the Thomas Jefferson building which is also the oldest and most decorative. It's located near the Capitol building in Washington DC and stands as an architectural and historical attraction for people all over the world.
The Librarian of Congress, who is currently James H. Billington, is in charge of the entire library. The Librarian of Congress is appointed by the president and approved by the senate and is responsible for naming the national Poet Laureate, overseeing the events of that Library of Congress, and being the chief librarian of every section of the Library, which in all contains 147 million pieces of literature.
The Library of Congress is available to all members of the United States Congress who are able to check out the works of literature. It is also open to all American citizens above the age of 16 with a Reader Identification Card, but they are not allowed to check out any of the works. Libraries of the United States may also request works from the Library of Congress if they do not exist in any other libraries.
The Library of Congress also has a website where anyone can access newspapers, prints, and recordings as well as the option to live chat with a librarian who serves at the Library of Congress. The library is, as its founder Thomas Jefferson intended, the library of the Congress of the United States and the people of the United States and the priceless information is available to all Americans who request it.