History Channel to access US Library of Congress

The US Library of Congress will open its vaults to the History Channel in a deal to bring the library’s vast public collections to a larger audience, it's expected to be announced tomorrow.

The History Channel and its numerous sister channels will draw from the historical content preserved by the Library of Congress for original specials and documentaries. “We’re pleased to join forces with History in this effort that will help better fulfill our mission of making knowledge more accessible and useful to the Congress and the public,” Librarian of Congress James Billington said in a statement.

Billington said there are over 138 million items in the library’s collections, meaning plenty of fodder for historical stories previously untold. Such items include a Gutenberg Bible, George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, the first United States map and the contents in Abraham Lincoln’s pockets the night he was assassinated.

In contrast to an exclusive deal made in 2006 between the Smithsonian Institution and CBS’s Inc.’s Showtime Networks, the History deal is non-exclusive, meaning all items will still be publicly available.

Abbe Raven, president and CEO of A&E Television Networks — which owns the family of History channels — said the deal will “result in millions of Americans having better access and knowledge of history by utilizing the collections of one of the nation’s greatest institutions.” A spokesman for A&E said that no money was changing hands in the deal. Content will be co-branded to both History and the Library of Congress.

The A&E networks also include A&E, Biography, History International, History En Espanol, Military History Channel and the Crime & Investigation Network.