Daniel J. Boorstin

Daniel J. Boorstin (October 1, 1914 – February 28, 2004), an American historian and writer, was the Librarian of Congress from 1975 until 1987.

Boorstin wrote more than 20 books, including a trilogy on the American experience and one on world intellectual history. The Americans: The Democratic Experience, the final book in the first trilogy, received the 1973 Pulitzer Prize in history. Boorstin also wrote the books The Discoverers and The Creators, a pair of books that attempt to survey the scientific and artistic histories of humanity respectively. He studied at Balliol College, Oxford, was a lawyer and university professor. He also served as director of the National Museum of History and Technology of the Smithsonian Institution.

When President Gerald Ford nominated Boorstin to be Librarian of Congress, the nomination was supported by the Authors League of America but opposed by the American Library Association because Boorstin "was not a library administrator." The Senate confirmed the nomination without debate.

During his term as Librarian of Congress, Boorstin established the Center for the Book to encourage reading and literacy. In addition, he spearheaded what became a 10-year project to completely renovate the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, restoring the main building to its original 1897 condition. He became Librarian of Congress Emeritus on August 4, 1987. Boorstin was born in Atlanta, Georgia and died in Washington, D.C.

External links

• United States Library of Congress official site
• Center for the Book
• Daniel Boorstin papers collection