The law creating the Library of Congress, approved on April 24, 1800, called for its books to be housed in "a suitable apartment" in the Capitol. The copyright law of 1870 brought two copies of all copyright items to the Library. It immediately became apparent that the Library would soon run out of space. The Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building opened in in 1897 after the decision to relocate the Library of Congress into a separate facility was reached after years of discussion.