Visiting Washington DC is much more then walking past the
White House or snapping a few pictures of Honest Abe's monument. In the nation's capital you can tour the largest library in the United States; The Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress was established by John Adams who saw a need for a library that would serve the needs of Congress. After the British burned the library to the ground, Thomas Jefferson donated his personal collection to Congress which included a variety of books beyond that of law books that was in the original collection. Since this time, the Library of Congress has expanded in size including books on every imaginable subject matter. Along side with books on law are comic books, nature books, and other written material.
Visitors to the Library of Congress will be amazed at the collection of rare books which include a Gutenberg Bible. The Library of Congress is considered one of the most important libraries in the world because of its massive collection of print media. The library itself is actually contained in three separate buildings; The Thomas Jefferson Building, The John Adams Building, and the James Madison Memorial Building.
While the average Joe will not be able to check out books from the Library of Congress you can be issued a Reader's Identification Card. This card allows you to read any of the books in the library in one of the several elaborate reading rooms.
Tours are conducted through the Library of Congress for those interested. The tours go into the history of the Library along with other fascinating information. The Library of Congress in Washington DC will be perfect for book worms, curious passer bys, and lovers of history.
