Navigate to Homepage
Search
Main navigation
  

        
              Explore the Capitol Campus
                          Art
                            Buildings & Grounds
                            Capitol Hill Facts
                            Visitor Resources
                            Our Blog
                            What We Do
                          Areas of Expertise
                            Programs & Ceremonies
                            Projects
                            Publications
                            Strategic Objectives
                            About Us
                          Who We Are
                            History of the AOC
                            News & Notices
                            Organizational Structure
                            Partnerships & Recognition
                            Work With UsSearch Breadcrumb
    HomeExplore the Capitol CampusBuildings & GroundsLibrary of Congress Buildings
Fort Meade
        
                  Buildings and grounds
  

        
              Library of Congress
                                        James Madison Building
                                                John Adams Building
                                                Thomas Jefferson Building
                                                Fort Meade
                                                Packard CampusThe Basics
      
Location
    Fort Meade, Maryland

Date Occupied
    1994

Size
    100 acres

AOC Jurisdiction
    Library Buildings and GroundsMultiple structures sit on this 100-acre lot including the Library of Congress Book Storage Facility.

As the Library of Congress collection grows, so does its need for more storage space; it receives approximately 250,000 new items every year. In 1994, an Act of Congress transferred one hundred acres located at Ft. Meade to the AOC "to provide facilities to accommodate the varied long term storage and service needs of the Library of Congress and other Legislative Branch agencies."

The Book Storage Facility currently consists of five book 'modules,' with a sixth in progress and planning for potential expansion to 13 modules. The modules boast 35-foot high ceilings with rows of book shelves that reach 30 feet. Books, maps, globes, photographs, microfilm and music are stored in one of 10 different sized boxes and placed on one of six different sized shelves. There are three separate climates carefully maintained by the AOC — with temperatures set to 50, 35 and 25 degrees Fahrenheit — to accommodate the various items. Staging areas, set up outside of the chilly storage rooms, are used to allow items to acclimate to the varying temperatures and reduce condensation so they can be safely moved from one climate to another.

The items are tracked through an automated book system that enables workers to quickly find and retrieve items. The process of "checking out" a book is a bit more involved given the distance the items have to travel from shelf to hand, but items are transported between Fort Meade and Capitol Hill every day. Requests for items come in from the Library of Congress and are retrieved at Fort Meade via a barcode that narrows down exactly which row, shelf and box house the particular item of interest.

Given the height of the shelves, workers often have to use specialized lifts to retrieve items. A super-flat floor was installed to prevent the lifts from leaning and turning over, knocking over the thousands of carefully catalogued items. Magnets were also installed in certain spots in the floor, a few feet from the end of aisles, to slow the lifts and prevent crashes. Every detail of the modules is centered on protecting history in its various forms and preserving it for generations to come.
          
    
      Background Image

Library of Congress Buildings
Explore More
            
          Exterior view of a building.James Madison Memorial Building
    Sky and exterior of a building.John Adams Building
    Exterior view of a building.Packard Campus
    Exterior view of a building.Thomas Jefferson Building Serve. Preserve. Inspire.

              Contact Us
                            Accountability
                            Hill Staff Resources
                            AOC Staff Resources
Utility
  

        
              Privacy Policy
                            Image Terms of Use
                            Inspector General
                            U.S. Botanic Garden
                            U.S. Capitol Visitor CenterFacebook
	Twitter
	Flickr
	YouTube
	Instagram
	Subscribe