Tj Library Flashcards
(17 cards)
What year did Congress purchase Thomas Jefferson’s library?
1815
How much did Congress pay for Jefferson’s library?
$23,950
Approximately how many books were in Jefferson’s library that Congress purchased?
6500
6487 books
What was the basis for calculating the purchase price of Jefferson’s library?
Size of the books
From where were the books transported to Congress?
Monticello
What was the significance of Jefferson’s library for the Library of Congress?
Foundation of the modern Library of Congress
What concept did Jefferson advocate for regarding libraries?
Universal library covering all subjects
What was Jefferson’s belief about democracy and knowledge?
Democracy depended on free access to knowledge
Who donated $1 million in 2000 to help replace missing Jefferson books?
Jerry and Jean Jones
How many of the original Jefferson books are still missing?
They discovered 2,000 books within their own collection, and picked up over 2,000 more at auction or from private collectors.
arranged in an order that Jefferson described as “sometimes analytical, sometimes chronological, and sometimes a combination of both
Approx 200 original books are still missing
How did Jefferson indicate ownership of his books’ pages?
Added a T in front of pages with a J and a J on pages with a T
Fill in the blank: Thomas Jefferson compiled a _______ of the books in his library.
ledger
What type of notations were used on the pages of Jefferson’s books?
Alphabetical notations
What discovery did a LOC librarian make six months ago?
Found a book with the same notations as Jefferson’s
True or False: Jefferson’s library was the largest personal collection of books in the US.
True
What role did Jefferson’s library play in the collecting policies of the Library of Congress?
Basis for comprehensive collecting policies
fun facts about TJ and books
After the sale he immediately began rebuilding his ‘retirement collection’ given to UVA on his death
declared books and wine as a “necessary of life.” , called scented hair powder “almost a necessary of life” for him, and then in 1810, he called “sallad oil” a necessary of life
s
reading, which occupies the mind without the labor of producing ideas
collection broken into sections: History, Philosophy, and Fine Arts.
He then broke these divisions down further into 46, and later 44, chapters or subjects,
spoke 4 languages: English, French, Italian, and Latin. Taught himself Spanish using two copies of Don Quixote merged together
