Making the Library of Congress Secure: Innovation and Collaboration

Before 1997, the approach taken by the Library of Congress to security was fragmented and lacked an overall strategy. In 1997, the disparate functions were consolidated under the central control of a single entity, the Office of Security. One of the first tasks of the Office of Security was to articulate the Libraryʹs vision for security, captured in the October 1997 Library of Congress Security Plan. The plan defined the threat to the collections and focused on creating a planning framework of physical security controls to protect the Libraryʹs collections. It also established parameters for the Library to protect its facilities, staff, visitors, and other assets. Perhaps most important, the planʹs framework has enabled the Library to integrate its security needs in comprehensive budget packages cutting across its separate curatorial and processing divisions.