The Library of Congress is America's national library. It has millions of books and other 1 . It has newspapers, popular publications as well as letters of 2 interest. It also has maps, photographs, art prints, movies, 3 and musical instruments. All together, it has more than 100 million objects.
The Library of Congress is open to the public Monday through Saturday, except for public holidays. Anyone may go there and read anything in the collection. But no one 4 take books out of the building.
The Library of Congress was 5 in 1800. It started with eleven boxes of hooks in one room of the Capitol Building. By 1814, the total number had increased to about 3,000 books. They were all 6 that year when the Capitol was burned down during America's war with Britain.
To help 7 the library, Congress bought the books of President Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Jefferson has 8 7,000 books in seven languages.
In 1897, the library moved into its own building across the street from the capital.Today, three buildings hold the library's collection.
The library 9 books and materials to the US Congress and also lends books to other American libraries, government agencies and foreign library. It buys some of its books and gets others as gifts. It also gets materials through its copyright office. Anyone who wants 10 for a publication in the US must send 2 copies to the library. This means the Library of Congress receives almost everything that is published in the United States.