Editing Librarian of Congress (section)

== History ==
On April 24, 1800, the [[6th United States Congress]] passed and President [[John Adams]] signed an appropriations bill that created the Library of Congress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/about/history-of-the-library/|title=History of the Library of Congress|website=loc.gov |publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref> This statute provided "for the removal [from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.] and accommodation of the Government of the United States". The fifth section of the act created the Library of Congress and designated some of its early functions, including "the acquisition of books for congressional use, a suitable place in the Capitol in which to house them, a joint committee to make rules for their selection, acquisition, and circulation", as well as an appropriation of $5,000 for the new library.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Librarians of Congress, 1802-1974 |publisher=Library of Congress|year=1977|isbn=0844402389|location=Washington|pages=vii|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/librariansofcong00libr}}</ref>

In 1802, two years after the creation of the library, President [[Thomas Jefferson]] signed into law a bill that created the Office of the Librarian and granted the president power of appointment for the new office.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://academic.lexisnexis.com/documents/upa_cis/3458_LibraryCongressDocHist.pdf|title=The Library of Congress a Documentary History|date=1987|website=academic.lexisnexis.com|publisher=Lexis Nexis|access-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, Jefferson appointed his former campaign manager [[John J. Beckley]] to serve as the first librarian of Congress.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/librarians-of-congress/|title=Librarians of Congress|website=American Libraries Magazine |access-date=March 19, 2016}}</ref> He was paid $2 a day and was also required to serve as clerk to the House of Representatives.<ref>{{cite book |last=Murray |first=Stuart |title=The Library: An Illustrated History |location=New York |publisher=Skyhorse Pub |year=2009 |postscript=. Chicago :ALA Editions, 2009.}}{{page needed|date=November 2020}}</ref> It was not until 1897 that the Senate was given the power to confirm the president's nominee.<ref name="Librarians of Congress">{{cite web |title=Librarians of Congress |website=Jefferson's Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress |date=March 30, 2006 |url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/legacy/librs.html |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=March 15, 2020}}</ref> This same law gave the librarian the sole power for making the institution's rules and appointing the library's staff.<ref name="Librarians of Congress" />

Until the nomination of [[Herbert Putnam]] in 1899 under [[William McKinley|President McKinley]], all previous librarians lacked any prior experience in the profession of librarianship; these librarians had held roles in journalism, law, writing, publishing, academia, and politics.<ref name="loc.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/legacy/librs.html|title = Jefferson's Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress -- LIBRARIANS OF CONGRESS|website = [[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> Even to this day, only three librarians – four including acting librarian [[David S. Mao]] in 2015 – had previously been librarians.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}