Happy Birthday, Library of Congress

On April 24, 1800, President John Adams approved the appropriation of $5,000 for the purchase of “such books as may be necessary for the use of congress.” The books, the first purchased for the Library of Congress, were ordered from London and arrived in 1801. On January 26, 1802, President Thomas Jefferson approved the first legislation that defined the role and functions of the new institution.


The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. The Library’s mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people, and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. As of 2018, the vast holdings of the Library number over 168 million items.

© Library of Congress, 2020