Congress first established a reference library in the US Capitol in 1800. when the Capitol was burned in 1814, Thomas Jefferson offered his own collection as a replacement, his belief in a universality of knowledge becoming the foundation for het Library’s acquisition policy.

In 1897 the Library of Congress moved to a new Italian Renaissance-style main building. The main building, now known as the Thomas Jefferson Building, is a marvel of art and architecture, with its paintings and mosaics, and several exhibitions, including American Treasures and the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment. The Library of Congress has the world’s largest collection of books and special materials.

Main Reading Room: eighth huge marble columns and 3-metre high female figuers personifying aspects of human endeavour dwarf the reading desks in this room. The domed ceiling soars 49 meters above the reading room floor.

Great Hall: splendid marble arches and columns, grand staircases, imposing bronze statues, stained-glass skylights, mosaics, and murals all combined to create a magnificent entrance hall.