There is no single go-to illustrated guide to the history of the Library of Congress for scholars, researchers and general visitors; this new volume fills that gap. Library of Congress Historian John Y. Cole highlights the history, personalities, collections, and events that have created and sustained this singular institution. This illustrated history traces the growth of the collections of the world's largest library through a combination of concise chronological milestones, brief essays, vivid photographs, and illustrations. AUTHOR: John Y. Cole is the Library of Congress Historian, the top technical expert and adviser on the history of the Library of Congress, documenting institutional history and conducting historical research. SELLING POINTS: . A new visual history of the Library of Congress from 1800 to the present day . Packed with fascinating facts, compelling images and little-known nuggets of information this will appeal to history buffs and general readers . Distils 200 years of history into an engaging read, that makes a Washington icon relevant today 250 colour illustrations