Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. It is also the largest library in the world, with more than 130 million items on 532 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 29 million books, as well as nearly 95 million maps, manuscripts, photographs, films, audio and video recordings, prints and drawings, and other special collections. The Library has a staff of over 4,000 employees and serves approximately one million people annually.

The mission of the Library of Congress is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. The Librarian of Congress, who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, is given the task to set policy and to direct and support programs and activities to accomplish the Library's mission.