The Minneapolis journal., 1901-05-25
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT
DOES FOR THE PEOPLE r.
xv.-THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
By Herbert Putnam. Librarian of Congress

-lGopyrlghf, 1901. by Victor r. Lawson.)
Nhen II was founded, 100 years ago, the
library et congress was created merely as a
convenience to the members of congress, and
y sun retains the title which was then given
70 H. although its functions have broadened
Il IS now library Of general scope; it is in
building distinct from the capitol; 1t is per-
forming a service 10 the executive depart
ments and to the public at large and 1t main
tains the copyright office, which is as dis
tihct!y administrative in its functions as Is
the patent otice. But, constitutionally, the
library is not classed with the executive de-
partments OF the government. The librarian
Isl TO ,pe sure, designated by the president OF
ehe United States; but the librarian admins
teTs the library under the direct supervision
OF congress; he appoints his subordinates un-
Ger rules prescribed by congress; he applies
directly. 10 congress for the appropriations
Tor the maintenance of the library, and he
renders his annual report direct to congress.
There Is. not in the case of the library, as
there is in the case of the various scientific
bureaus Of Washington. a higher executive
intervening between it and the legislative
authority.
Founding of the Great Library.
The library of congress was created by act
OF congress in the year 1900. The centennial
OF washington as the capital city is also
therefore, the centennial of the library. But
IN 1914 the existing collection (some 1900 vol
umes) was entirely destroyed by the fire
which the British troops started in the capi-
toll The private library of ex-President JEFF
ferson (s7OO volumes) was soon after pur-'
chased by congress and formed the basis for
a new growth, This continued until 1851,
when second fire. this time accidental, de-
stroSed all but 10000 of the 50, 900 then exist
ing volumes. Since that catastrophe. how
ever the growth has been uninterrupted and
has had special impetus from several sources
Seyenty-iye thousand dollars was appropriat-
ed TO repair immediate losses, and later two
great special purchases were made, one of the
collection of Peter Force and the other of the
manuscripts of the Marquis de Rochambeau.
In 1866 the books in possession of the Smith
sonian Institution amounting to 10000 VOL
umes, were transferred to the library, with
an agreement that future accessions through
exchange should follow. In 1870 the copyright
work was transferred to the library and with
1t the two copies of publications required to
be hled to perfect the entry for copyright
These events, however, tended chiefly to the
enlargement of the collection. 1t had been
founded as library for the use of congress-
Its scope was now broadened from one lin
tied to the requirements of legislative body
TO one whose limits were but the limits of
recorded knowledge. Otherwise, however,
the ninety-se years from the creation to
the opening of the new building in 1897 had
produced no organic change. There was a
great accumulation of material, but it was
as yet undifferentiated. The staff increased
from one person to forty-two persons, but it
also was undifferentiated
ReOrganizing the Vast Collections.
The new bI'ilding implied purpose for
the library far wider than that of its found
ing. The building was not mere wing of
the capitol, it was set apart distinct 1t was
designated and completed as the largest, most
commodious library building in the world;
also the most decorative and the most costly
1t was capable of broad and a highly differ
entiated service which had not been possible
in the crowded room and with the over
burdened administration at the capitol.
Since 1897 the library has been undergoing
a Reorganization with reference to this broad
er and more highly specialized service. The
material ITSELF which had been accumulat-
ing in mass has been set apart sifted and
summarily classified; the printed books and