Library of Congress

The United States Library of Congress (LOC) is considered the largest library in the world in terms of both collection size and shelf length. Founded in Washington, D.C., in 1800, this massive institution serves as the official research arm of the U.S. Congress as well as the country's de facto national library. After being burned by the British in 1814, the library was revived with the purchase of former president Thomas Jefferson's personal collection of 6,487 books; Therefore, its main building, known for its magnificent architecture, bears his name (Thomas Jefferson Building). The library's collection includes more than 170 million items written in more than 470 languages. In this magnificent archive; It contains more than 32 million cataloged books, 74 million manuscripts, North America's largest collection of rare books (including a flawless Gutenberg Bible), millions of maps, musical scores, films, photographs, and sound recordings. The institution, which also hosts the U.S. Copyright Office, is the central memory of American history and creativity.