Making a national library

“Know ye,” Lincoln proclaimed on New Year’s Eve in 1864, “That reposing special Trust and Confidence in the Integrity, Diligence and Discretion of Ainsworth R. Spofford of Ohio, I do appoint him Librarian … .”

Spofford would serve as Librarian of Congress for over 32 years — a period during which, thanks largely to his drive and vision, the Library grew into a position of national prominence.

At the time of Spofford’s appointment, the Library was a small institution that served only Congress. The Boston Public Library, Boston Athenaeum and Astor Library in New York City were bigger, as were the Harvard and Yale libraries.

The Library of Congress wasn’t in good shape, either. Dust coated everything, Spofford noted, large numbers of books needed repair and the collections suffered “remarkable deficiencies” — the newest encyclopedia available to members of Congress was 20 years old.

Spofford argued for more funding and bigger, more current collections. He expanded the Library’s physical space in the Capitol. Working with Congress, he centralized all copyright activities at the Library, adding two copies of every copyrighted work to the collections, enormously expanding their size and range.

With the collections growing quickly, the Library soon needed more space. Spofford doggedly lobbied for the Library to get a building of its own — today’s magnificent Jefferson Building.

He also supplied the Library with something new and important: a vision of the institution as a library, not just for Congress, but for the nation and its citizens. More than 160 years after Spofford first took the job, the Library still holds his vision — a library for all.