Jefferson's library went through several stages, but it was always critically important to him. Although the broad scope of Jefferson's library was cause for criticism, Jefferson extolled the virtue of its broad sweep and established the principle of acquisition for the Library of Congress. The Library is now in the process of reconstructing Thomas Jefferson's Library as it was sold to Congress in 1815. Irene Chambers, chief of the Interpretive Programs Office, will conduct both tours, followed by a presentation of selected rare materials by curatorial staff of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, in the Lessing J. Rosenwald Room. The following exhibitions will be on display during the ALA Midwinter period in the Library of Congress Jefferson Building.
Maps noting the locations of the galleries are available.
The gallery will include items from the newly acquired Bob Hope Collection, materials from the rich and varied collections of the Library, and objects borrowed from the Bob Hope Archives. A special section on Bob Hope's USO shows, which started during World War II and continued through the Persian Gulf war, will examine the making of these shows and the effect they had on the morale of America's servicemen for two generations. The many other audio-visual components featured in the gallery include an abundance of clips from radio, films, television, and Hope's 1969 USO tour. Of course Thomas Jefferson's handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence is a treasure, not only because of its association with Jefferson, but also because of what it reveals about how one of the founding documents of America was written and rewritten and finally agreed upon by dozens of men in the midst of a political crisis. The Library holds all these and more.