Sophie Fang
A perfect place for bookworm to go in DC — The Library of Congress
Sophie Fang
Spring 2016
On a beautiful Friday afternoon recently, we had our regular weekly field trip, this time to The Library of Congress. After an exhausting week of class and internship, I would prefer spending the whole day in my bed to going out in the cold. But it turns out that this building has become my favorite place of DC so far.
The Thomas Jefferson Building, one of three Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill, is the one we visited. It was completed in 1887 to honor creativity, knowledge, learning, literature, and intellectual achievement. Guided by a lovely and knowledgeable librarian, we get chances to get to know the library. Besides the fascinating and astonishing history, this building is also known for its remarkable architecture. After touring this building for only a few minutes, I had already fallen in love with it.
The ceiling of the Library of Congress
I regard myself as a bookworm. So from a bookworm’s stand point, I’d like to offer you some tips for the Library of Congress tour:
- Tour with a librarian: The Library of Congress is open to the public but I highly recommend you to tour with a librarian. Other than telling you the history of the library, the librarian will also shares the unique stories and/or fun facts of this building. For instance, how many books and papers the library accepts per day or what’s the meaning of a random sculpture, among others. In addition, they are happy to answer questions. You will miss a lot if you just walk around by yourself.
- Do visit the exhibitions: The Library of Congress has tons of amazing and impressive exhibitions. Just to name a few: a replica of Thomas Jefferson’s library, a complete Gutenberg Bible, and the first map of America. It’s gorgeous and fascinating. The reading room is a highlight as well. You will walk a lot for those wonderful exhibitions so do remember to wear a pair of comfortable shoes.
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The reading room of the Library of Congress
- Get a reader card: The Library of Congress has volumes and volumes of books and printing materials that you can access to with a reader card. It is wonderful to read in the reading room surrounded by thousands of books. So do not miss the chance to take advantage of those free and valuable materials. Applying for a reader card is not hard at all and can be done during your visit.
- Spend a whole day in the library: Immersing yourself in in tons of books and gorgeous art works for a whole day is definitely one of the greatest things to do when you have a day off. Go to the Library of Congress and get inspired!
Sophie Fang is a junior studying communication and interning at McAllister and Quinn.
