Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Some cool facts about the Library of Congress: Has over 145 million pieces in its collection Houses the U.S. Copyright Office, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and the Congressional Research Service (which as you guessed it--does the research for members of Congress)  The LofC also has books in 470 languages The Library of Congress opened in 1800, was burned by the British in 1814 (nearly destroying everything!); was recreated when Congress paid Thomas Jefferson $23, 950 for over 6,400 books; then suffered another fire in 1851, destroying over half of the collection once more! You can imagine they have mad fire-proofing skills these days! The LofC was once housed in the Capital building I was recently able to visit the Library of Congress' traveling, " Gateway to Knowledge " Exhibit. The exhibit--touring via an 18 wheeler truck--gave a glimpse into the variety and scale of what sorts of things the Library of Congress has i...