The Smithsonian Library

Summary

A brief history of the Smithsonian Institution Library which includes the role of the library in the Congressional debates and final Smithsonian legislation; the Board of Regents' emphasis on building the Smithsonian collection; influence of the first librarian, Charles Coffin Jewett, and his eventual resignation; transfer of the majority of the collection to the Library of Congress and its continued growth; beginnings of the United States National Museum library; donations to the collections and the beginning of branch libraries under Secretary Samuel P. Langley.

Subject

• Choate, Rufus, 1799-1859
• Henry, Joseph 1797-1878
• Jewett, Charles C (Charles Coffin) 1816-1868
• Owen, Robert Dale 1801-1877
• Board of Regents
• Library of Congress
• Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL)
• United States Congress
• United States National Museum

Category

Smithsonian Institution History Bibliography

Notes

Written by the Smithsonian's librarian, Cyrus Adler.

Contained within

The Smithsonian Institution, 1846-1896, The History of its First Half Century (Book)

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

1897

Topic

• Library science
• Law
• Congressional Debates
• SI, Early History
• Libraries
• National Collections
• Legislation

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