20 U.S.C. § 51 (2024)
This is the official text of 20 U.S.C. § 51 (2024), part of Federal (US Code)’s United States Code — the codified general and permanent federal statutes of the United States, organized into more than 50 numbered titles by subject.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Library
Official statutory text
The Regents shall make, from the interest of the fund, an appropriation, not exceeding an average of $25,000 annually, for the gradual formation of a library composed of valuable works pertaining to all departments of human knowledge.
(R.S. §5587.)
Editorial Notes
Codification
R.S. §5587 derived from act Aug. 10, 1846, ch. 178, §8, 9 Stat. 105.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Public Use of Research and Study Facilities of Certain Institutions
Under provisions of R.S. §94 and act Mar. 3, 1875, ch. 179, 18 Stat. 512, the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress was authorized to extend the use of the Library to the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. These provisions were not classified to the Code, being rendered superfluous by a general declaration of public policy by Congress, by a joint resolution adopted Apr. 12, 1892, 27 Stat. 395, to the effect that facilities for study and research in the Library of Congress, the National Museum, and similar institutions shall be afforded investigators, students, etc., in the several states and territories as well as in the District of Columbia.
(R.S. §5587.)
Editorial Notes
Codification
R.S. §5587 derived from act Aug. 10, 1846, ch. 178, §8, 9 Stat. 105.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Public Use of Research and Study Facilities of Certain Institutions
Under provisions of R.S. §94 and act Mar. 3, 1875, ch. 179, 18 Stat. 512, the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress was authorized to extend the use of the Library to the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. These provisions were not classified to the Code, being rendered superfluous by a general declaration of public policy by Congress, by a joint resolution adopted Apr. 12, 1892, 27 Stat. 395, to the effect that facilities for study and research in the Library of Congress, the National Museum, and similar institutions shall be afforded investigators, students, etc., in the several states and territories as well as in the District of Columbia.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Federal (US Code)?
Find a Federal (US Code) lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.