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Archive: August 2025 (2 Posts)

I Got 99 Ptolemies But a 1477 Ain’t One: A Journey Through Bookbinding History

Posted by: Amelia Parks

It’s not very often that you have the chance to look at 99 copies of the same book. However, among the Library’s vast collections are an extraordinary 99 copies of Ptolemy’s Geographia, divided between the Geography and Map Division and Rare Book and Special Collections. Book conservators in the Library’s Conservation Division, undertook a survey of every one of these 99 copies of Geographia, and found some fascinating things that provide context for the rich history of book binding and manuscript arts.

A warehouse aisle is stacked to the ceiling with shelves of book boxes.

Ten Million Books… and Counting!

Posted by: Kristina Grooms

This summer marks a major milestone in the Library of Congress mission to preserve and provide access to its wide range of collections as the ten millionth item is transferred to offsite storage. Since the Library’s collection is continuously growing, it is essential to rely on offsite storage for managing such a vast and varied …