The Library of Congress Turns 220

In 1800, as part of an act of Congress providing for the removal of the new national government from Philadelphia to Washington, President John Adams approved an act of Congress providing $5,000 for books for the use of Congress—the beginning of the Library of Congress. Since that beginning 220 years ago, the Library has grown to become the largest library in the world with a collection of more than 170 million items that document human creativity and achievement across the centuries and around the globe.