The mouse pad for my computer is from the Library of Congress. I bought it in the library’s gift shop at the end of a wonderful morning spent touring the magnificent end of the 19th Century building. On the mouse pad is a drawing of an array of volumes, some open, some not, and a quotation from Thomas Jefferson: “I cannot live without books”.
Jefferson was not exaggerating. His personal library numbered 6,487 volumes, the largest in this country at the time. When the British burned ...
kAm%96 >@FD6 A25 7@C >J 4@>AFE6C :D 7C@> E96 {:3C2CJ @7 r@?8C6DD] x 3@F89E :E :? E96 =:3C2CJ’D 8:7E D9@A 2E E96 6?5 @7 2 H@?56C7F= >@C?:?8 DA6?E E@FC:?8 E96 >28?:7:46?E 6?5 @7 E96 `hE9 r6?EFCJ 3F:=5:?8] ~? E96 >@FD6 A25 :D 2 5C2H:?8 @7 2? 2CC2J @7 G@=F>6D[ D@>6 @A6?[ D@>6 ?@E[ 2?5 2 BF@E2E:@? 7C@> %9@>2D y6776CD@?i “x 42??@E =:G6 H:E9@FE 3@@<D”]k^Am
kAmy6776CD@? H2D ?@E 6I2886C2E:?8] w:D A6CD@?2= =:3C2CJ ?F>36C65 e[cgf G@=F>6D[ E96 =2C86DE :? E9:D 4@F?ECJ 2E E96 E:>6] (96? E96 qC:E:D9 3FC?65 E96 {:3C2CJ @7 r@?8C6DD 5FC:?8 E96 (2C @7 `g`a[ y6776CD@? @776C65 9:D A6CD@?2= =:3C2CJ 2D 2 C6A=246>6?E 7@C E96 b[___ G@=F>6D E92E 925 366? =@DE[ 2?5 r@?8C6DD AFC492D65 E96> 7@C Sab[ hc_] (:E9 E96 AFC492D6[ E96 {:3C2CJ @7 r@?8C6DD ?@E @?=J >@C6 E92? 5@F3=65 :ED AC6G:@FD 4@==64E:@?[ :E 8C62E=J 6IA2?565 :ED D4@A6[ 7@C y6776CD@?’D ?6G6C\6?5:?8 AFCDF:E @7 <?@H=6586 925 2>2DD65 3@@<D @? ;FDE 23@FE 6G6CJ 4@?46:G23=6 2C62 @7 9F>2? :?BF:CJ]k^Am
kAm%9:D 4@>:?8 H66< :D #625 p4C@DD p>6C:42 (66<] %96C6 H2D 2 DE@CJ 23@FE :E :? =2DE |@?52J’D 65:E:@? @7 E9:D A2A6C[ =:DE:?8 E96 24E:G:E:6D E96 =@42= 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@=D H@F=5 36 5@:?8 ?6IE H66< :? C64@8?:E:@? @7 E96 H66<’D :>A@CE2?46] x>A@CE2?46 :D 2? F?56CDE2E6>6?E[ 7@C E96 23:=:EJ E@ C625 – >@C6 :>A@CE2?E=J[ E@ C625 H:E9 F?56CDE2?5:?8 – :D E96 7@F?52E:@? @7 2== =62C?:?8] xE :D 2 4CF4:2= :?8C65:6?E @7 2 7C66 2?5 @A6? D@4:6EJ[ 7@C E96 4@?E6?E @7 >2?J 2 3@@< 92D =:E6C2==J 492?865 E96 H@C=5] %96C6 :D 2 C62D@? H9J 5:4E2E@CD9:AD 32? 2?5 3FC? 3@@<D :? E96 62C=:6DE DE286D @7 E96:C DFAAC6DD:G6 CF=6]k^Am
kAm%92E :D H9J[ E:>6 2?5 E:>6 282:? H96? x H2D E6249:?8[ x D9@@< >J 9625 :? 5:D>2J 2E E96 :?23:=:EJ @7 D@ >2?J @7 >J DEF56?ED E@ C625 6G6? E96 D:>A=6DE @7 D6?E6?46D] (@CD6[ 7@C 6G6? H96? E96 DEF56?E 4@F=5 C625 E96 D6?E6?46[ D@ @7E6? E92E DEF56?E 925 ?@ :562 H92E :E >62?E] %96 A@E6?E:2= :>A=:42E:@?D 7@C E92E :?23:=:EJ 2C6 7C:89E6?:?8] ~7 4@FCD6[ C625:?8 7@C F?56CDE2?5:?8 E2<6D E:>6[ 2?5 H6 =:G6 :? 2 D@4:6EJ E92E D66>D E@ 36 2=H2JD :? 2 9FCCJ] %2<:?8 E96 E:>6 E@ D:E 2?5 C625 2?5 E9:?< :D 5:77:4F=E E@ 5@ 7@C 2? :>A2E:6?E A6@A=6] qFE :E :D 4CF4:2= E92E H6 7:?5 2 H2J E@ 5@ D@]k^Am
kAm!6@A=6 C625 7@C >2?J 5:776C6?E C62D@?D[ @7 4@FCD6] |J H:76 =2C86=J C625D 7@C AFC6 A=62DFC6] w6C =:3C2CJ :D 7:==65 H:E9 7:4E:@?[ =2C86=J D4:6?46\7:4E:@? 2?5 C@>2?46 ?@G6=D] x C625 E@ =62C?] |J =:3C2CJ :D =2C86=J ?@?\7:4E:@? 2?5 3@@<D @7 C676C6?46[ 3@E9 4@G6C:?8 2 H:56 C2?86 @7 DF3;64E >2EE6Ci 9:DE@CJ[ C6=:8:@?[ A9:=@D@A9J[ >JE9@=@8J 2?5 7@=<\=@C6[ 4=2DD:4D[ >FD:4[ A@6ECJ[ 2?5 D4:6?46] $F49 3@@<D 2C6 ?646DD2CJ E@ >J H@C< E96D6 52JD] qFE E96J 92G6 366? 4@==64E65 @G6C 2 =@?8 A6C:@5 @7 J62CD[ J62CD H6== 367@C6 x 3682? >J HC:E:?8 42C66C]k^Am
kAmpD x 92G6 HC:EE6? 367@C6[ x H2D G6CJ 7@CEF?2E6] x =62C?65 E@ C625 G6CJ 62C=J 2?5 H:E9 =:EE=6 @C ?@ 5:77:4F=EJ] #625:?8[ 6DA64:2==J C625:?8 2=@F5[ H2D 2>@?8 E96 92AA:6DE >@>6?ED @7 >J D49@@= 52J] tG6? 2D 2 J@F?8 3@J @7 8C256 D49@@= 286[ x E9C:==65 E@ E96 D@2C:?8 H@C5D @7 E96 8C62E HC:E6CD H9@D6 H@C<D x H2D 23=6 E@ C625 2?5 E@ F?56CDE2?5[ 2?5 E@ E96:C 4@>>2?5 @7 E96 8C62E =2?8F286 x 76=E AC:G:=6865 E@ :?96C:E]k^Am
kAmpD x 92G6 HC:EE6? :? E9:D DA246 367@C6[ >J 52J 368:?D H:E9 23@FE 2 92=7 9@FC @7 C625:?8D >@DE=J @7 2? :?DA:C2E:@?2= 2?5 E9@F89E\AC@G@<:?8 ?2EFC6] rFCC6?E=J[ E96D6 3@@<D 2C6i “~A6? *@FC |:?5[ ~A6? *@FC {:76[” 2 4@==64E:@? @7 t2DE6C? (:D5@> 65:E65 3J %2C@ v@=5j “%96 {:EE=6 q@@< @7 !6246[” 65:E65 3J !2EC:4:2 y] r9F:j “}2E:G6 (:D5@> 7@C (9:E6 |:?5D[” 3J p??6 (:=D@? $9267j “(@C5D x (:D9 x (C@E6[” 3J #@36CE uF=89F>j 2?5 “!@6ECJ 7@C E96 $A:C:E[” 65:E65 3J p=2? y24@3D[ 2?5 8:G6? E@ >6 2D 2 8:7E 7C@> 2 7C:6?5] x? 2 H@C=5 @3D6DD65 H:E9 G:@=6?46[ D6I[ DA665[ 2?5 GF=82C:EJ[ E96J 2C6 2 52:=J C6>:?56C @7 H92E :D C62==J :>A@CE2?E] p DE:==[ D>2== G@:46 2>:5DE E96 DE@C>[ :7 J@F H:==]k^Am
kAm~? >J 4FCC6?E C625:?8 D96=7 2=D@ 2C6 “{@?8:EF56D 2?5 pEE:EF56D[” 2 4@==64E:@? @7 !F=:EK6C !C:K6 H:??:?8 4@=F>?:DE %9@>2D {] uC:65>2?’D A@DE h^`` 4@>>6?E2C:6D 7@C “%96 }6H *@C< %:>6Dj” “%96 q6DE p>6C:42? tDD2JD @7 E96 r6?EFCJ[” 65:E65 3J y@J46 r2C@= ~2E6Dj “}2E:@?2=:D>i xED |62?:?8 2?5 w:DE@CJ[” 3J w2?D z@9?j 2?5 “(92E x7Dn @7 p>6C:42? w:DE@CJ[” 65:E65 3J #@36CE r@H=6J[ 2 H@?56C7F==J AC@G@42E:G6 4@==64E:@? @7 6DD2JD 3J 6>:?6?E 9:DE@C:2?D @? 9@H @FC 9:DE@CJ >:89E 92G6 366? G6CJ 5:776C6?E :7 E96 @7E6? 42AC:4:@FD H:?5D @7 492?46 925 ?@E 3=@H? 2 46CE2:? H2J]k^Am
kAm(92E6G6C J@FC C625:?8 @7 49@:46[ x 9@A6 E92E 5FC:?8 E9:D 4@>:?8 H66<[ J@F 2?5 J@FC 72>:=J H:== 4@?E:?F6 E96 7@4FD @7 E96 D49@@=’D 677@CED 2?5 7:?5 J@FC @H? H2J @7 C64@8?:K:?8 2?5 46=63C2E:?8 #625 p4C@DD p>6C:42 (66<] (6 42? 8:G6 @FC 49:=5C6? – 2?5 @FCD6=G6D – ?@ 8C62E6C 8:7E]k^Am
kAmWxE9242 q@F?5 :D E96 A6? ?2>6 @7 s:4< r@?H2J] w:D 6\>2:= 255C6DD :D k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i=2>2?492o?4:2]?6EQm=2>2?492o?4:2]?6Ek^2mXk^Am
kAmk^Am
kAmk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.