Legislation authorizing the Library of Congress to purchase Martin Luther King Jr.’s private papers was stalled shortly before Congress adjourned for the year due to growing concerns over cost, copyright, and the wisdom of separating the papers from other collections held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta.
The Senate unanimously passed a bill October 29 allowing LC to acquire the 80,000 pages from King’s final six years. But similar legislation in the House drew enough objections that Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), chairman of the committee that oversees the Library of Congress, called for a hearing to address the various concerns when Congress returns in January, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported November 10.
“It’s very difficult to move legislation forward when you have questions from a broad band of people,” Thomas said.
The proposed $20-million deal would be the most Congress has ever paid for a manuscript collection for LC. Most LC materials are donated; Congress has appropriated money for collections or rare books on only seven occasions.
Posted November 15, 1999.