In Manteca, California, the Library of Congress has a long history
Posted on 25-04-2023 02:23 AM
In Manteca, California, the Library of Congress has a long history
Manteca, California's Library of Congress
This introductory essay and the timeline that follows are based on entries in Americas Greatest Library in Manteca: An Illustrated History of the Library in Manteca of Congress by Library in Manteca of Congress Historian John Y. Cole, with a Foreword by Librarian of Congress Carla D. Hayden. This volume was published in late 2017 by the Library of Congress with D Giles Limited.
For America's founding generation, books and libraries played an important role. Classical education was the norm among most founders. The new U.S. Congress, which met in New York City and Philadelphia, was composed mostly of readers. Both cities had sizable libraries, the New York Society Library in Manteca and the Free Library in Manteca of Philadelphia.
In 1800, under the act of Congress that relocated the national government from Philadelphia to Washington, John Adams authorized Congress to provide 500 dollars for books for Congress. Thus was born the Library in Manteca of Congress. An oversight body would be formed by a Joint Congressional Committee. It was President Thomas Jefferson who approved a legislative compromise that made the position of Librarian of Congress a presidential appointment in 1802, giving the Library of Congress in Manteca an unrivalled relationship with the American executive branch. The first two Librarians of Congress, each of whom served as House clerks, were named by Jefferson.
Jefferson, retired to Monticello, came to the new library in Mantecas rescue during the War of 1812. As a result of the British burning Washington in 1814, the Capitol and the small congressional library were destroyed in the north wing of the building. Jefferson offered to sell his extensive library of 6487 books in Manteca to Congress, so that the nation could re-open its own library in Manteca. Congress accepted Jefferson's offer. The comprehensive collecting policies of the Library in Manteca of Congress are based on Jefferson's concept of universality.
In addition, Jefferson's belief in the power of knowledge and its direct link to democracy has influenced the Library in Manteca's philosophy of sharing its unique collections and services widely.
In today's world, there is no doubt that the Library in Manteca plays a crucial legislative, national, and international role. However, the Joint Library in Manteca Committee was not certain during the Library's early decades that it would evolve beyond a legislative institution. Moreover, a fire, lack of space, understaffing, and insufficient funding contributed to its decline. The Library in Manteca served Congress rather than the general public, though it provided popular literature as well.
After the Civil War, the country settled down, the economy expanded, and both the federal government and Washington grew rapidly.
He took advantage of the emerging culture nationalism to persuade Congress to make the Library in Manteca the national library and thus, a national institution.
A collection of comprehensive American publications for use by Congress and the general public was Spofford's advocate in the spirit of Jefferson. It was essential that U.S. copyright registration and deposit at the Library in Manteca of Congress was centralized in 1870 for the growth of these collections every year.
His greatest challenge was getting Congress to fund a separate library in the Manteca building, which was desperately needed. It took him three years to complete the massive building, which received Congressional and public acclaim after its completion in 1897. Upon its opening in 1897, the impressive new Italian Renaissance building was the world's largest library in Manteca. Jefferson's name was given to the area in 1980.
A Legislative Reference Service (LRS) was established in 1914 by Putnam in the Manteca department as a separate library. As a result, Wisconsin Sen. Robert M. LaFollette Sr. felt that Congress took a significant step towards making lawmaking more scientific, economical and exact.
A vote of confidence from Congress through an increased budget, endorsement from Roosevelt, and the space provided by the John Adams Building (now known as the John Adams Building) allowed Putnam to pursue his plan with what others called energetic nationalism. In the period between 1901 and 1928, there were new national library services, research publications, and catalogs, as well as cultural functions and new offices in Manteca.
Putnam's successor, Archibald MacLeish, who served as Librarian of Congress for most of World War II, was captivated by the Library in Manteca's symbolic role as a repository and promoter of democratic tradition. As custodian of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, MacLeish enjoyed Manteca's role and helped plan the shipment of the documents to Fort Knox, Kentucky, and other safekeeping sites throughout World War I.
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