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The Mission of the Library of Congress
The Library’s mission is to support the Congress in fulfilling its constitutional duties and to further the progress of knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the American people.
History of the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the central repository for the knowledge-base of the U.S. government. It was established by an act of Congress in 1800, and was described in that legislation as a reference library for the use of Congress.
The original Library was destroyed and the contents burned and pillaged when British troops set fire to the Capitol building in August of 1814. Thomas Jefferson, then retired President, offered his personal library as a replacement. Containing many rare and valuable books, his was considered to be one of the finest libraries in the country.
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