TASHKENT STATE INSTITUTE OF ORIENTAL STUDIES
RESEARCH PEPER
Theme :
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS -- WASHINGTON D.C., USA
Rasulkhudjaeva Shakhlo
China-english group
Tashkent 2020
WORLD LIBRARIES
With education as our focus here at The Best Colleges, we obviously love libraries.
College libraries, public libraries, private libraries -- whatever and wherever they
are, we love them all. For those of you not "of a certain age," a library is a quiet
building that houses tons of books and reference materials, typically dating back to
Ye Olde Pre-Internet Times.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS -- WASHINGTON D.C., USA
The Library of Congress in Washington DC is essentially both the national library
of the U.S. and the country's oldest federal cultural institution. Though it consists
of only three buildings, it is the largest library in the world for shelf space and
number of volumes. While open to the public for on-site research and as a tourist
attraction, as the research institution of Congress, only members of Congress,
Supreme Court justices, and other specified government officials can check out
books. The library is formally known as the "library of last resort" in the U.S.,
charged with making certain items available to other national libraries if all other
means have been exhausted. The library's holdings are vast, including more than
32 million books, more than 61 million manuscripts, a rough draft of the
Declaration of Independence, one of only four perfect vellum copies of the
Gutenberg Bible in the world, over one million newspapers from the last three
centuries, over five million maps, six million pieces of sheet music, and more than
14 millions photos and prints.
The library's primary mission is to research inquiries made by members of
Congress, carried out through the Congressional Research Service. The library is
open to the public, although only high-ranking government officials and library
employees may check out books and materials.
HISTORY
The Library of Congress occupies three buildings on Capitol Hill. The Thomas
Jefferson Building (1897) is the original separate Library of Congress building.
(The Library began in 1800 inside the U.S. Capitol.) The John Adams Building
was built in 1938 and the James Madison Memorial Building was completed in
1981. Other facilities include the High Density Storage Facility (2002) at Fort
Meade, Md., and the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation (2007) in
Culpeper.
Congress moved to Washington, D.C., in 1800 after sitting for 11 years in the
temporary national capitals in New York City and Philadelphia. The small
Congressional Library was housed in the United States Capitol for most of the 19th
century until the early 1890s. Most of the original collection had been destroyed by
the British in 1814 during the War of 1812, and the library sought to restore its
collection in 1815. They bought Thomas Jefferson's entire personal collection of
6,487 books.
The Library of Congress is housed across three buildings on Capitol Hill in
Washington, DC: the Thomas Jefferson Building (10 1st Street SE), the James
Madison Memorial Building (101 Independence Avenue SE) and the John Adams
Building (2nd Street SE, between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street).
The library houses more than 164 million items, from books to photos to
recordings to maps to…much, much more. It also serves as a museum, with
numerous exhibits inside the incredible Thomas Jefferson Building.
What’s inside the Library of Congress?
The best visitor experience can be found inside the Library of Congress’ Thomas
Jefferson Building. You will be dazzled upon walking in the door of the Jefferson
Building. Gilded Age architecture makes its interior a visual masterpiece, a work
of art worthy of housing the immense amount of knowledge that it holds. Once
you’re done snapping photos for Instagram, it’s time to explore the building’s
many exhibits.
Currently, seven of the Thomas Jefferson Building’s exhibits are ongoing. Here to
Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin reveals the lives of the sibling duo
and their powerful influence on modern music. The Swann Gallery is a fun dive
into political cartoons, comics, animation art and caricatures, while the Herblock
Gallery reveals the imaginative work of political cartoonist Herbert L.
Block. Thomas Jefferson’s Library is a stunning recreation of the Founding
Father’s immense collection of books that founded the Library of Congress.
Exploring the Early
Americas chr onicles Native
American culture and
their conflict with Europeans. Notably, the exhibit features Martin
Waldseemüller’s 1507 map of the world, the first to feature the word
“America”. Hope for America: Performers, Politics and Pop Culture focuses on the
career of Bob Hope and many other entertainers who have engaged with politics in
their work, and how this intersection impacts American society. Mapping a
Growing Nation: From Independence to Statehood showcases the first map of the
independent U.S. compiled, printed and published in America by an American (his
name was Abel Buell).
There are also numerous exhibits inside the Jefferson Building that rotate
regularly. Make sure to check out all of the current exhibitions at the Library of
Congress.
The Library of Congress also frequently hosts events and tours – take a look at
the events calendar for your planning. The institution also curates the National
Book Festival every year, and often hosts an outdoor film festival on its grounds
during the summer.
MIDDLE AGES
20th century growth
In the early 20th century, the Library of Congress took another great leap
forward thanks to the support of President Theodore Roosevelt, who in
1903 issued an executive order transferring the records of the Continental
Congress and the personal papers of six founding fathers—George
Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, James
Madison and James Monroe—to the library from the State Department.
Today, the Library of Congress houses the papers of no fewer than 23 U.S.
presidents.
President Warren G. Harding issued another key executive order in 1921,
transferring the original copies of the Declaration of Independence and the
U.S. Constitution to the Library of Congress for safekeeping and display to
the public. These founding documents would move to their permanent
home in the National Archives in 1952.
A new Art-Deco style annex building opened in 1939 to hold the library’s
ever-growing collections. The latter half of the 20th century saw the
Library of Congress build its collections at an unprecedented rate, largely
driven by the impact of automation on its cataloging procedures and its
expansion into overseas acquisitions.
MacLeish resigned in 1944 to become Assistant Secretary of State, and
President Harry Truman appointed Luther H. Evans as librarian of Congress.
Evans, who served until 1953, expanded the library's acquisitions, cataloging and
bibliographic services as much as the fiscal-minded Congress would allow, but his
primary achievement was the creation of Library of Congress Missions around the
world. Missions played a variety of roles in the postwar world: the mission in San
Francisco assisted participants in the meeting that established the United Nations,
the mission in Europe acquired European publications for the Library of Congress
and other American libraries, and the mission in Japan aided in the creation of
the National Diet Library. Evans' successor Lawrence Quincy Mumford took over
in 1953.
From 1954-75, during the tenure of Librarian of Congress L. Quincy
Mumford, the library’s collection grew from 10 million to 17 million
volumes.
In 1967, the library began experimenting with book preservation techniques
through a Preservation Office, which grew to become the largest library research
and conservation effort in the United States.
A 1962 memorandum by Douglas Bryant of the Harvard University Library,
compiled at the request of Joint Library Committee chairman Claiborne Pell,
proposed a number of institutional reforms, including expansion of national
activities and services and various organizational changes, all of which would shift
the library more towards its national role over its legislative role.
After Mumford retired in 1974, Gerald Ford appointed Daniel J. Boorstin as
librarian. Boorstin's first challenge was the move to the new Madison Building,
which took place between 1980 and 1982. The move released pressures on staff
and shelf space, allowing Boorstin to focus on other areas of library administration
such as acquisitions and collections. Taking advantage of steady budgetary growth,
from $116 million in 1975 to over $250 million by 1987, Boorstin actively
participated in enhancing ties with scholars, authors, publishers, cultural leaders,
and the business community. His active and prolific role changed the post of
librarian of Congress so that by the time he retired in 1987, The New York
Times called it "perhaps the leading intellectual public position in the nation".
NOWADAYS
library of congress today
A third major building, named for James Madison, opened in 1980,
doubling the library’s size.
Its two older buildings were renamed that same year—the original 1897
structure for Thomas Jefferson and the 1939 annex building for John
Adams—and both underwent extensive restorations and modernizations in
the 1980s and ‘90s.
Today’s Library of Congress boasts 21 reading rooms, including the Main
Reading Room, located in the Jefferson Building.
The largest library in the country and is among the largest in the world, if not the
largest. According to its website, the library hosted “nearly 1.9 million onsite
visitors” in 2017—to peruse its 167,000,738 items on about 838 miles of
bookshelves.
All the Library of Congress’ buildings can be entered free of charge. The Thomas
Jefferson Building is open from Monday – Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. The
building is closed every Sunday and on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New
Year’s Day. The James Madison Memorial Building and the John Adams Building
are primarily used for research – learn more about the Library of Congress’
buildings, including tours and current exhibitions, and check out the hours for
reading rooms across the three buildings.
The easiest way to reach the Library of Congress is via Metrorail or the DC
Circulator’s Union Station-Navy Yard Metro route. The closest Metro stop is
Capitol South station on the Orange, Blue and Silver lines. Simply exit the station
using the main exit and walk two blocks north on First Street SE. The Union
Station-Navy Yard route stops on First Street, making for a short walk to the
Library of Congress’ buildings.
For more than two centuries, the Library of Congress (LOC) and its staff
have served as invaluable resources for American legislators. But their
mission isn’t limited to U.S. politics. The Library of Congress catalog
includes iconic films, historical documents, and your tweets about lunch. In
short, it's a cultural treasure. Here are 11 facts worth knowing about the
Washington, D.C.-based establishment.
CONCLUSION
1. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IS THE NATION'S OLDEST
CULTURAL INSTITUTION.
Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is America’s oldest federal cultural
institution. It was established by the same bill that officially moved the
capital from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. The library was conceived of
as a resource available exclusively to members of Congress, containing "such
books as may be necessary for the use of Congress." That remains the case
today, though citizens can read books on site or request them at their local
library through an interlibrary loan.
2. THOMAS JEFFERSON HELPED REBUILD THE LIBRARY OF
CONGRESS CATALOG AFTER A FIRE.
Not long after it was established, tragedy struck the Library of Congress: Its
contents were destroyed when the Capitol Building was set on fire by British
troops during the War of 1812. Approximately 3000 books (mostly law-
related) were lost in the blaze, but luckily a friend of Washington D.C. owned
a collection that was even bigger. Thomas Jefferson’s personal
library comprised well over 6000 volumes, making it the largest library in the
country at the time. He agreed to sell all of his books to Congress for $23,950
in 1815. Jefferson's contributions significantly expanded the scope of the
library, by including books on art, science, and philosophy. (The increased
diversity of the collection was a subject of criticism at the time, to which
Jefferson responded by saying "there is in fact no subject to which a member
of Congress may not have occasion to refer.”) Sadly, the library met with
another tragedy when a second fire tore through it on Christmas Eve 1851,
burning two-thirds of Jefferson’s contribution.
3. JAMES MADISON FIRST PROPOSED THE LIBRARY OF
CONGRESS.
Seventeen years prior to the LOC's official formation, James
Madison proposed the idea of a special library for Congress. He planted the
idea as a Continental Congress member in 1783 when he suggested compiling
a list of books to which lawmakers could refer. As president,
Madison approved the purchase of Jefferson’s personal library in 1814.
4. IT MAKES CONGRESS'S JOB A LOT EASIER.
Members of Congress drafting legislation don’t necessarily need to do the
nitty-gritty research themselves: There’s a whole team [PDF] of lawyers,
librarians, economists, and scientists employed through the Library of
Congress to do it for them. Established in 1914, the Congressional Research
Service (CRS) is a legislative department within the LOC responsible for
supporting lawmakers through every step of the lawmaking process. Based on
what’s asked of them, CRS employees supply House and Senate members
with reports, briefings, seminars, presentations, or consultations detailing
research on the issue in question. The CRS is currently staffed with 600
analysts. In any given year, a single researcher responds to hundreds of
congressional requests.
5. IT'S THE LARGEST LIBRARY ON EARTH.
With over 164 million items in its inventory, the LOC is the world’s largest
library. In addition to the 38 million books and other printed materials on the
premises, the institution contains millions of photographs, recordings, and
films. It also houses some record-breaking collections: more maps, comics,
newspapers, and phonebooks can each be found there than any other place on
Earth. The whole thing is stored on about 838 miles of bookshelves.
6. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTAINS SOME SURPRISING
ITEMS.
The Library of Congress is home to an eclectic collection, with books ranging
in size from a tiny copy of “Ole King Cole” to a 5-foot-by-7-foot photo
book filled with color images of Bhutan. Some items, like a Gutenberg Bible
and a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, feel right at home in
the historic library. Others, like Rosa Parks’s peanut butter pancakes recipe,
are a bit more unexpected. Additional noteworthy artifacts include Bob
Hope’s joke collection, George Gershwin’s piano, and the contents of
Abraham Lincoln's pockets the night he was shot.
7. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS OWNS MATERIALS FROM
AROUND THE WORLD.
The Library of Congress isn’t solely dedicated to American documents. The
institution possesses materials acquired from all around the globe, including 3
million items from Asia and 10 million items in the Iberian, Latin American,
and Caribbean collections. Over half of the books in their inventory are
written in a language other than English. In total, over 460 languages are
represented, and their end goal is to eventually have at least one item from
every nation. The LOC also maintains overseas offices in New Delhi, India;
Cairo, Egypt; Islamabad, Pakistan; Jakarta, Indonesia; Nairobi, Kenya; and
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to acquire, catalog, and preserve items that might be
hard to access otherwise.
8. IT PRESERVES AMERICA'S MOST IMPORTANT FILMS.
Since the National Film Preservation Act was passed in 1988, 700"culturally,
historically, or aesthetically" significant films have been selected for the LOC
archives. Up to 25 entries are chosen each year by a board of industry
professionals, and the only rule is that submissions must be at least 10 years
old. Beyond that, they can be anything from beloved comedy blockbusters
like Ghostbusters (1984) to health class classics like The Story of
Menstruation (1946). Pieces added to the National Film Registry are kept in a
climate-controlled storage space where they can theoretically last for
centuries.
9. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SERVES PATRONS OF ALL
ABILITIES.
In 1931 the Library of Congress launched The National Library Service for
the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). Today the service offers free
Braille and audio books, either through digital downloads or physical
deliveries, to people with visual impairments or other issues that limit their
reading abilities. Offerings include a wide array of books and magazines, as
well as the world’s largest collection of Braille music. NLS librarians are
currently undertaking the painstaking process of scanning every sheet of
Braille music onto their computer system. Once that project is complete, the
National Library Service’s entire collection will be fully digitized.
10. ONLY THREE LIBRARIANS OF CONGRESS HAVE BEEN ACTUAL
LIBRARIANS.
When nominating someone to head the largest library in the world, presidents
rarely choose actual librarians. They’re more likely to select a scholar,
historian, or some other veteran of academia for the job. Of the 14 Librarians
of Congress we’ve had, current title-holder Carla Hayden is one of just
three to come into the role with prior librarian experience. (She is also the
first woman and the first African American to hold the job.) On top
of running the world’s largest library, Hayden is also responsible for
managing relations with Congress, selecting the Poet Laureate, and
overseeing the U.S. Copyright Office.
11. IT RECEIVES EVERY PUBLIC TWEET YOU WRITE.
The government isn’t just responsible for cataloging tweets coming out of the
White House. In 2010, Twitter agreed to donate every public tweet in its
archive to the Library of Congress. That amounts to several hundred million
tweets a day. In addition to documenting the rise and fall of dressgate and
live tweets of The Walking Dead, the archive would also act as an invaluable
data source for tracking language and societal trends. Unfortunately, that
archive isn’t much closer to being completed than the day the deal was
announced. The LOC has yet to develop a way to organize the information,
and for the past seven years, unprocessed tweets have been have been stored
out of sight on a server. There’s still no word on what the next step will be,
but that might change with the newest Librarian of Congress. Unlike her
predecessor, Carla Hayden is known for taking a digital-forward approach to
librarianship.
