Librarian of Congress

Congress created the Library of Congress on April 24, 1800, when it moved the capital to Washington, and in 1802 a law provided that the President would appoint a Librarian, a post first held jointly by the Clerk of the House. After British troops burned the Capitol and the library in 1814, Congress bought Thomas Jefferson's personal collection to rebuild it. The Librarian is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and since 2015 has served a 10-year term rather than for life.

The Librarian leads the world's largest library, with more than 170 million items, from books and manuscripts to maps, films, and recordings, and oversees the Congressional Research Service, which provides confidential nonpartisan analysis to members and committees. The Librarian appoints the Register of Copyrights, who heads the Copyright Office, and issues the rules that exempt certain uses from the ban on breaking digital locks under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The Librarian also names the Poet Laureate and chairs boards that oversee the library's trust funds and the preservation of films and recordings.

Because the Library serves Congress but its head is appointed by the President, its place in the separation of powers is ambiguous. On May 8, 2025, the President removed the Librarian, and the administration named a Justice Department official as acting Librarian, but Library staff and some members of Congress argued that a legislative branch officer could not be filled that way, and the Library continued under its own principal deputy. The Register of Copyrights, removed days later, sued, and the dispute reached the federal appeals courts. Supporters said the President has authority over officials he appoints, while critics said the moves threatened Congress's control of its own agencies.