Travel: A Library That's Worth the Visit

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Architectural photography image of the Library of Congress reading room
October 21, 2018

The Reading Room gets a view from above.

World's Largest Library

The Library of Congress is the research library that serves the US Congress and is the national library of the United States. It claims to be the largest library in the world. The LOC is physically housed in three buildings on Capital Hill and a conservation center in Virginia. The main library, or Thomas Jefferson Building is the largest building and is open to the public for guided tours daily. It opened in 1897. A tunnel connects the Jefferson building with the US Capital. The John Adam Building, originally known as the Annex, is adjacent to the Jefferson Building.The James Madison Building is located between Independence Ave and 1st and 2nd Streets and also serves as the official memorial to James Madison.

Stunning Architecture

The building exterior was intended to rival the likes of the Paris Opera House. I can certainly say that the interior architecture and design is as impressive as anything I recall ever seeing in Europe. It is certainly a national library to be proud of.

Reference Only

We toured the Jefferson Building after visiting the US Capital. The elaborately decorated Great Hall interior boasts a compendium of works by classically trained American sculptors and painters. The Main Reading Room houses the reference and service point for the general collections

Jeff Lackey photographer
I am a professional photographer, fine art print-maker and a co-founder of J&J Digital along with my wife Jennifer. I also designed and built the J&J Digital web site during the Covid 19 pandemic of 2020.