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Highsmith, Carol M, photographer. Main Reading Room. View from above showing researcher desks. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. Washington D.C, 2009. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2011646836/.
On September 8, 2022, the
SAH Heritage Conservation Committee sent a letter to Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla D. Hayden in opposition to the proposed alterations to the Main Reading Room at the Library of Congress. The proposed project seeks to radically and irreparably damage the design and function of the Reading Room by removing the central circulation desk.
"The Main Reading Room, with the circulation desk at its heart, is essential to an understanding of the Library of Congress and its capstone role in the importance of literacy in a functional American democracy. We call upon Congress, the Architect of the Capitol, and the American public to oppose these alterations, which will destroy the heart of a building designed for everyone. SAH believes that every effort should be made to protect the Main Reading Room and the circulation desk at its center."
Read the Letter