Library of Congress

You're inside the main public building of the Library of Congress, the magnificent, ornate Italian Renaissance-style Thomas Jefferson Building. Maybe you've arrived via the tunnel that connects the Capitol and the Library of Congress, or maybe you've entered through the 1st Street doors. In any case, you may be startled suddenly to find yourself inside a government structure whose every surface is covered in detailed embellishment. Before you stop in the Orientation Galleries, or line up for that tour or enmesh yourself in the library's literature, first take time to stroll around the building, from ground floor to the Great Hall, to the Main Reading Room Overlook, and just gape. Look up to admire the stained-glass skylights overhead; glance down to notice the Italian marble floors inlaid with brass and concentric medallions; gaze right, left, and all around to try and take in the gorgeous murals, allegorical paintings, stenciling, sculptures, and intricately carved architectural elements that make this building a visual treasure.

Now for the history lesson: Established in 1800 by an act of Congress, "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress," the library today also serves the nation, with holdings for the visually impaired (for whom books are recorded on cassette and/or translated into Braille), scholars in every field, college students, journalists, teachers, and researchers of all kinds. Its first collection of books was destroyed in 1814 when the British burned the Capitol (where the library was then housed) during the War of 1812. Thomas Jefferson then sold the institution his personal library of 6,487 books as a replacement, and this became the foundation of what would grow to become the world's largest library.

The Jefferson Building was erected between 1888 and 1897 to hold the burgeoning collection and to establish America as a cultured nation with magnificent institutions equal to anything in Europe. Originally intended to hold the fruits of at least 150 years of collecting, the Jefferson Building was, in fact, filled up in a mere 13 years. It is now supplemented by the James Madison Memorial Building and the John Adams Building.

Today, the collection contains a mind-boggling 145 million items. Its buildings house more than 33 million cataloged books; 63 million manuscripts; millions and millions of prints and photographs, audio holdings (discs, tapes, talking books, and so on), movies, and videotapes; musical instruments from the 1700s; and the letters and papers of everyone from George Washington to Groucho Marx. Its archives also include the letters, oral histories, photographs, and other documents of war veterans from World War I to the present, all part of its Veterans History Project; go to www.loc.gov/vets to listen to or read some of these stories, especially if you plan on visiting the National World War II Memorial.

In addition to its art and architecture, the Library displays ongoing exhibits of objects taken from its permanent collections; "Exploring the Early Americas" and "Creating the United States" were two shows going on at press time. Be sure to check the LOC website before you come. The concerts that take place in the Jefferson Building's elegant Coolidge Auditorium are free but require tickets, which you can obtain through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com. Across Independence Avenue from the Jefferson Building is the Madison Building, which houses the Copyright Office and the Mary Pickford Theater, a venue for classic film screenings.

Anyone 16 and over may use the library's collections, but first you must obtain a user card with your photo on it. Go to Reader Registration in Room LM 140 (street level of the Madison Building) and present a driver's license or passport. Then head to the Information Desk in either the Jefferson or Madison buildings to find out about the research resources available to you and how to use them. Most likely, you will be directed to the Main Reading Room. All books must be used on-site.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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