On April 24, 1800 President John Adams approved legislation that appropriated $5000 to purchase books which would be used by the Congress. The first books were ordered from London and arrived in 1801. They were stored in the U.S. Capital, the library's first home. There were 740 volumes and three maps.

In 1802, then President Thomas Jefferson approved the first law defining the role and functions of the new institution. These laws created the new post of Librarian of Congress, and through a joint committee, established a budget, rules and regulations. In the beginning only those in government including President and Vice President could use the library. The next big change came in 1832 when a separate law department was approved. With Thomas Jefferson as its guiding light the library served as the first library of the American Government, and in 1815 the library collection was permanently expanded. Unfortunately, in 1814 the British invaded Washington and burned the Capital including 3000 volumes in the library. Fortunately Jefferson, then retired, sold his own library of 6487 volumes for $23,940 to the government. By doing so the new library included much more than the legal and historical works it originally had. The new works now included art, science, literature, architecture, and geography.

An important philosophy emerged with the new books. Jefferson's belief was that knowledge and democracy are directly related, and the library should share its collections and services as widely as possible.

The library continued to grow. Especially helpful was the acqisition of the entire 40,000 volume library of the Smithsonian Institution. Joseph Henry, Smithsonian Secretary, favored the development of a national library at the Library of Congress. Even with its continuing growth the library hit hard times again. In 1851 another fire burned two thirds of its volumes. This time Congress quickly responded and appropriated $168,700 to buy new books and restore the rooms in the capital.

Ten years later a newly elected Abraham Lincoln appointed John G. Stephenson as librarian. At that time there were only seven people on staff and 80,000 volumes. Stephenson lasted four years, and then in 1865 Ainsworth Rand Spofford was appointed(2). He transformed the library into a national significance and served until 1897. Spofford followed in Jefferson's style and said "It is imperative that such a great national collection be shared with all its citizens, for the United States was a Republic which rests upon the popular intelligence".

In 1897 the library finally moved out of the Capital into a new building now with more than 840,000 volumes. As the library added more copyright materials, subject specialists, were hired to develop these collections.

Spofford with the help of two senators, Justin S. Morrill of Vermont and Daniel W. Voorhees of Indiana, convinced the government that a new building was needed(3)(4). With eloquent speeches by both, Congress in 1886 authorized the construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, an imposing Italian Renaissance style structure. Spofford also started the tradition of public access and that of lending books directly to the public.

After Spofford and John Russell Young, Herbert Putnam was appointed by President McKinley, he served for 42 years until 1939(5). Putnam started the interlibrary loan system in 1901. In 1903 he transferred many papers of our founding fathers' to the library. Also in 1904 the library began publishing important historical texts; The Journals of the Continental Congress was one.

In 1906 he acquired 80,000 volumes of Russian literature, and in 1921 Putnam requested that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution be transferred to the library. Then in 1924 they went on permanent public display.

This brief history of the Library of Congress is just a small part of the beginning of our country and I cannot fit all the historical facts on this paper. James Billington, the 13th Librarian of Congress, now brings the library into the 21 century; there are now more than 100 million items, a staff of 5000, and a budget of $330 million(6). Our Library of Congress is one of the world's leading cultural institutions, and we all should benefit from Thomas Jefferson's vision that knowledge and democracy are directly related. History is constantly being made and the Library gives us a place to remember it.