ABSTRACT
Daniel J. Boorstin started with a symbolic swearing-in ceremony held in the Great Hall of the Library, which was attended by the President and Vice-President, the chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library, and the Speaker of the House. Boorstin then proceeded with his physical opening of the Library, redecorating the public areas to look like they had when the institution opened in 1897. As Boorstin talked about the idea with his guests and library managers, the concept of a continuing entity that would do a number of things for the nation and the Library began to form. The more Boorstin thought about the idea, the surer he became of its validity and the more certain he became that the Library of Congress was the perfect location for such a group of minds. To return to the world, Boorstin was distressed by the short life and restricted audience of the Library's rather spectacular revolving exhibitions.
