Putnam, Herbert (1861-1955), an American librarian, served as librarian of Congress longer than any other person who ever held the position. He was appointed by President William McKinley in 1899, and he served until he retired in 1939. Putnam was the first experienced professional librarian to become librarian of Congress. Before his appointment, he held posts as librarian of the Boston Public Library and president of the American Library Association.
During the late 1800’s, the Library of Congress began to develop beyond its original purpose as a legislative reference library and became a national institution. Putnam oversaw several important milestones in this development. He felt strongly that the library should serve the American people and focused many of his efforts on creating programs to encourage widespread public use. For example, under Putnam’s leadership, scientific investigators and other qualified individuals gained access to the library’s vast collections. He also began an extensive interlibrary loan service that made materials in the collection available to local institutions. Putnam was born on Sept. 20, 1861, in New York City. He died on Aug. 14, 1955.
