The first comprehensive history of the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research arm of Congress, home of the US Copyright Office, and a public forum for artistic and literary culture. It is generally considered the national library of the United States, and it has influenced cultural affairs worldwide in myriad ways since its founding more than two centuries ago. In The Library of Congress, Jane Aikin draws on a wealth of primary and secondary sources to weave a narrative of the individuals, events, and controversies that have shaped the history of this venerable institution.
Punctuated by stories about key donors and pivotal performances by poets, authors, and celebrities, this engaging and informative narrative sheds new light on the world's largest library and its global impact on knowledge and culture.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Carla Hayden, Fourteenth Librarian of Congress
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1 Establishing a Library for Congress
2 Jefferson's Collection and Its Legacy
3 The Antebellum Library
4 The Idea of a National Library
5 Building Collections and Services
6 War, Prosperity, and Depression
7 War and Postwar
8 Sesquicentennial and Expansion
9 The National Library in the Networking Age
10 Bicentennial and Beyond
Conclusion
Index
About the Author
Reviews
"An impressive and well-written introduction to a unique and important American institution whose fascinating history is still relatively unknown. General readers will appreciate Aikin's compelling historical anecdotes. Scholars and future historians will find the scope and depth of her analysis both authoritative and valuable, along with her rich documentation."—John Y. Cole, Library of Congress historian, 2016–21
"Comprehensive, richly detailed, meticulously researched—in this essential history of an extraordinary American institution, Jane Aikin traces how the Library of Congress became a hub for scholarship, a leader in the library community, and a resource for all Americans."—Scott E. Casper, president, American Antiquarian Society
About the Author
Jane Aikin served as director of the Research Division at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Her publications include The Nation's Great Library: Herbert Putnam and the Library of Congress, 1899–1939 (1993) and, as coeditor with John Y. Cole, Encyclopedia of the Library of Congress: For Congress, the Nation & the World (2005).
