Located across from the capitol at First Street and Independence Avenue, the library is a complex of three buildings. Founded in 1800 to serve the needs of congressional members, the library consisted of a small collection housed in the U.S. Capitol. After the collection was destroyed in the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson's personal collection of more than 6,000 volums formed the basis of the new national library. The library now includes 17 million books and pamphlets, more than 49 million manuscripts and extensive files of maps, prints, photographs, musical scores, recordings, newspapers, reels of microfilm and the papers of 23 U.S. Presidents.
