Library of Congress - Acquisition of Thomas Jefferson's personal library

In 1815 Thomas Jefferson sold his personal library of about 6,487 volumes to the United States (the Library of Congress) to help reconstitute the national collection after the 1814 burning of the Capitol. That acquisition formed the foundational core of the modern Library of Congress holdings and many of the volumes remain in the Library's rare book and special collections. The Library of Congress preserves, catalogs, and exhibits items from Jefferson's collection as part of its historical installations and research services.