Problems at Library of Congress

This picture is of the stacks of the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington, suffering from staff shortages and budget cuts according to a new Inspector General's survey that has prompted outraged headlines in the Washington Post and on Book Patrol.

This blog notes lavish attention to particular books and in particular places, but we should give some notice to the lack of care for books in institutions from which we have every reason to expect better.

Update, November 2, 2007: Matt Raymond has responded on behalf of the Library of Congress on its own blog.  For more reactions, see Book Patrol and PhiloBiblos.