§ 131. Collections composing Library; location

The Library of Congress, composed of the books, maps, and other publications which on December 1, 1873, remained in existence, from the collections theretofore united under authority of law and those added from time to time by purchase, exchange, donation, reservation from publications ordered by Congress, acquisition of material under the copyright law, and otherwise, shall be preserved in the Library Building.

(R.S. § 80; Feb. 19, 1897, ch. 265, § 1, 29 Stat. 545, 546; Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 105(g), Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2599; Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(i) [title III, § 310], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–290, 1329–310.)

Codification

Codification

R.S. § 80 derived from act Jan. 26, 1802, ch. 2, 2 Stat. 128; Res. Oct. 21, 1814, No. 3, 3 Stat. 246; act Jan. 30, 1815, ch. 27, 3 Stat. 195; act June 25, 1864, ch. 147, § 1, 13 Stat. 148; Res. July 25, 1866, No. 77, 14 Stat. 365; and act Mar. 2, 1867, ch. 167, § 1, 14 Stat. 464.

Amendments

Amendments

1987—Pub. L. 100–202 struck out after first sentence “The law library shall be preserved in the Capitol in the rooms which were on July 4, 1872, appropriated to its use, and in such others as may hereafter be assigned thereto.”

1976—Pub. L. 94–553 substituted “acquisition of material under the copyright law” for “deposit to secure copyright”.

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 94–553 effective Jan. 1, 1978, see section 102 of Pub. L. 94–553 set out as an Effective Date note preceding section 101 of Title 17, Copyrights.

Miscellaneous

Transfer to Library Building

Provisions for the removal of the Library to the Library Building, erected pursuant to act Apr. 15, 1886, ch. 50, 24 Stat. 12, and for the custody, care, and maintenance of that building, were made by act Feb. 19, 1897.

Organizing and Microfilming of Presidential Papers; Appropriation

Pub. L. 85–147, Aug. 16, 1957, 71 Stat. 368, as amended by Pub. L. 87–263, Sept. 21, 1961, 75 Stat. 544; Pub. L. 88–299, Apr. 27, 1964, 78 Stat. 183, provided: “That the Librarian of Congress is authorized and directed to arrange, index and microfilm the papers of the Presidents of the United States in the collections of the Library of Congress, in order to preserve their contents against destruction by war or other calamity and for the purpose of making them more readily available for study and research to the fullest possible extent consistent with any existing limitations that may have been imposed on the use of or the access to such papers by their donors or by those placing them on deposit with the Library of Congress. Neither the United States nor any officer or employee of the United States shall be liable for damages for infringement of literary property rights by reason of any activity authorized by this Act.

“Sec. 2. There are authorized to be appropriated such amounts as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.”