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Library of Congress, founded in 1800 and based in Washington, D.C., operates as the research arm of the Congress and as the United States' national library. The agency, which encompasses the Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison Memorial buildings, houses 29 million books, along with 4.8 million maps, 58 million manuscripts, 12 million photographs, and 2.7 million film, audio, and video recordings. It also holds international and comparative law, local history and genealogy, print and drawing, and other special collections. The contents of the original library were destroyed by British troops in 1814. The current collection was established with Congress' acquisition of Thomas Jefferson's personal library in 1815. Approximately 7,000 items are added to the Library of Congress' collection daily. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) handles information requests from House and Senate offices. The CRS processes 500,000 requests annually. The Copyright Office has been part of the library since 1870. The office has handled 20 million copyright registrations since its founding in 1790. The Library of Congress maintains offices abroad, which acquire, catalog, and preserve library and research materials. The library has offices in India, Egypt, Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, and Pakistan. The Library of Congress is visited by 1 million people annually.
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