為了幫助國會圖書館重新開始，傑弗遜提議將自己私人收藏的 6,487 冊書以 $23,950 賣給國會圖書館。傑弗遜的收藏包括了許多國會圖書館從未有過的主題。在這之前，國會圖書館的收藏專注於法律、經濟及歷史。而傑弗遜的收藏則包含了建築、藝術、科學、文學及地理，另外也有法語、西班牙語、德語、拉丁語、希臘語及俄語的書籍。傑弗遜相信國會會員應對各種題材都有興趣，而且所有的題材都很值得收藏。所以現在他們有書了，但這些書要放那裡呢？
　

Jefferson offered to sell Congress his private collection of 6,487 volumes for $23,950 to help restart the Library. Jefferson's collection included many topics that the Library never had before. Until this time, the Library's collection had been devoted to legal, economic, and historical works. Jefferson's collection included works on architecture, the arts, science, literature, and geography. It also had books in French, Spanish, German, Latin, Greek, and Russian. Jefferson believed that all subjects could be of interest to members of Congress, and deserved to be in the collection. So now they had the books, where did they put them?

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