Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-09
CONGRESS LIBRARY
BECOMES GIANT
Building Largest and Con-
tents Most Extensive, With
One Exception, in World.

The Library Of Congress, after $50
years Of growth, has now become the
National Library Of the United states
and one Of the ranking libraries OF the
world, according to the latest statistics
by F. W. ashley, chief assistant
librarian.
with a collection Of 4,lo3, 900 books
and pamphlets. l.Is0. 900 maps, ,0e0, 900
pieces Of music. nearly 500 900 prints,
Il Is now surpassed in the number Of
books and pamphlets BY only one library
in the world, the Bibliotheuue Nationals,
in Paris. The Library Of Congress 40
uuires annually 10000 books and PAM
phlets
Additional information made public
| follows:
Founded in 1900, the fRprAry was
housed in the Capitol until 1897 when
the present building was completed.
The collection was destroyed In 1914,
when the Capitol was burned by the
! British, Through q purchase Of the
library Of Thomas jefferson, q new COLI
lection began and has been increased
year by year until II has attained inter-
national Importance It suffered a set
wiped away all the acquisitions since
| 1914.
| Largest Library Building.
The present building. the largest IT,
brary building in the world, represents
con1modAte 900 readers, including 40
separate rooms and over IFS study
tables for research workers. In adef-
ton to stacks, study rooms and the gea-
eral reading room, the building COM
tains an auditorium which will seat SO
persons. Much space Is given over for
exhibition halls in which various COLI
/ lections are displayed for the interest
and enlightenment OF the public
! In addition to its numerous books and
pamphlets, the Library contains more
than 900, 900 pieces OF manuscript ana
| 10000 bound volumes OF newspapers.
Scholars seeking information On
: American history and politics win ind
in the National Library the most COM
plete collection Of material Il n also
/ possessor of the most complete colieo-
ton of hibliography and library science
( material Its file Of Federal documents
is equaled only by that of the 0fSace %
| the superintendent Of documents
/ One interested in foreign studies win
| find q wealth OF information. Prob
! ably the largest collection OF Russian
books anywhere In the world outside OF
Russia reposes in the Library of Con-
gress. The same il true with references
to books on China and japan. the
| Vollbehr collection OF ilcunabuia q tns
most recent fifteenth century acquisi.
| ton
Collections Of works on economics
law, science and technology which have
| been added to the library are unssar&
/ passed in the United States. Tt has an
unequaled collection OF publications OF
learned societies and within its mariu-
| script group are papers Of nearly every
| President OF the United states and
feller grant the collection Il being en-
riched by transcripts Of manuscripts In
European libraries.
$4,000 Rare Boehs.
There are about $4,000 rare books ana
manuscripts housed within the edifiee
These include many first editiona
early American pamphlets and ASST
| incunAbula.
| Its stock of 1,135,O00 printed CARDS
| contain about so 100000 names in eli
over 5000 libraries, firms and irdivtda
uals purchase cards to the amount OF
over $3.50 900 annually. The depository
sets OF the Library Of Congress cArde
are now housed in So libraries, incllid.
| ing those OF foreign countries
A stan OF $50 workers handles the
increasing labors of the growing insft-
| tuition. Appropriations for the current
fiscal year amounted to $3.50, 6z2 and
income from gifts and endowmefits ad-
ministered by the Trust Fund Board
amount to approximately $500, 900.
Ever mindful OF the history Of the
Nation, its precious documents are pre-
served with greatest care. Within the
exhibition halls are the originals of thu
Declaration Of Independence and the
| Constitution, to which thousands az
Americans, young and old, go annually.