According to the American Library Association, there are an estimated 123,291 libraries of all kinds in the United States today. The Library of Congress, founded in Washington, D.C., in 1800, is both the oldest and largest library in the United States. On August 24, 1814, British troops burned the Capitol building (where the library was housed) and destroyed the library’s core collection of 3,000 volumes. The following year, Congress approved the purchase of statesman Thomas Jefferson’s personal library of 6,487 books for $23,950. Today, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with more than 138 million items on approximately 650 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 32 million books and other print materials, 2.9 million recordings, 12.5 million photographs, 5.3 million maps, 5.5 million pieces of sheet music, and 61 million manuscripts.
- What is American Sign Language, and does it have an alphabet?
- Where did the English alphabet come from?
- Why do I have to do homework?
- What is a learning disability?
- Why are some kids better at schoolwork than others?
- My friend says he’s a genius. Is that possible?
- What is school like in other countries?
- How long has home schooling been practiced in the United States?
- Where are some other places that germs hide?
- Did our Founding Fathers discuss school in the country’s founding documents?
- What is home schooling?
- Why do I have to go to school?
- What do I do if my pet dies?
- Why should I walk my dog every day?
- Is it okay to bring my pet snake to school for show and tell?
- Why do I have to wash my hands after handling my pet turtle?
- Can my turtle take off its shell?
- Why does my guinea pig have buck teeth?
- Why do mice cry red tears?
- Do our intestines contain germs?
