Evening star., 1945-12-02
Library of Congress Records New Era Of World Progress

Congress, may be put to use without
neglect of this
The Library of Congress is now
and will remain the Library of Con-
gress. With the assent of Congress
it provides, in addition, the matrix
to a system of Federal libraries and
by permission assumes the func-
tions of the national library of the
people of the United States. It's
relation to the American people is,
in consequence, threefold; through
the legislation which governs them,
through the diverse and sometimes
diffused results of Government
sponsored research and through
their direct exploitation of its re-
sources.
For Senators and Representa-
tiveS 1t undertakes any and all re-
search and reference projects bear
ing upon its collections and required
by members in connection with the
performance Of their legislative du-
ties. These services may take the
form of preparing studies basic to
the full and intelligent consideration
OF and implications in proposed or
pending enactments, or again it may
take the form of associating with
the principal committees experts
from its staff, chosen on the basis
of the highest competence, to assist
in the solution of difficult national
problems; or yet again it may take
the form of supplying information
concerning the status of bills and
resolutions, the compilation of in
dexes to Federal and State legisla-
tion, or the selection Of materials
assembled in response to specific
inquiries Of whatever kind.
a City of Libraries
Washington has become a city of
libraries; two years ago there were e
two hundred, and their number has
since increased. Most of them are
administratively connected with the
executive branch. They have been
brought into being because records
as contained in books, or as repre-
sented on maps. or as discoverable
in manuscripts are indispensable to
the operations of democratic gov
The experience of the Lii
brary OF Congress is proof of this.
For years 1t has provided what is,
perhaps, the largest interlibrary
lending service in the world, and for
years it has invited, for the most
part unilaterally, the fullest ex-
ploitation of its resources, but never
have that service and those re-
sources demonstrated their place in
the national structure as convinc-
ingly as they have demonstrated
them In recent years.
The Library Of Congress is more
than the largest library among
many libraries in the District of
Columbia. 1t is the keystone which
supports the others. Through its
collections and the loan of its COL
lections it supplements and COM
elements their own holdings;
through its card distribution service
It reduces their cataloging cost;
through the transfer of duplicates
t enhances their collections;
through its reference staff it fur
aishes their experts with materials
and bibliographies and abstracts;
and through its longer hours of
opening it increases the accessible
ty of information to their research
For reference use the Library of
Congress is ABSOLUTELY free, without
or credential, to any
inquirer from any place. The pur-
,oSe of the administration Is the
reest possible use of its materials
consistent with their safety, and
he widest possible use consistent
With the convenience Of Congress.
The general reader may carry on his
work in the main reading room or
n one Of the reading rooms in the
Innex. If, however, he is pursuing
Investigations requiring access to the
n