... was never more evident than in the period between 1987 and 2015, when James H. Billington served as Librarian. Billington played a large role in the United States' engagement with Russia as it transitioned from communism to democracy under Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin and then back...

...This chapter discusses three factors, specific to the Library of Congress, which are important in explaining why and how the Library interacted so intensively with Russia after 1987. The first was James H. Billington's appointment as Librarian of Congress and his personal commitment to using his...

... changed environment for the publication and distribution of books and other materials from the former Soviet Union. As an expert on Russia who was deeply invested in the changes underway, James H. Billington provided necessary leadership, but he was hardly alone in setting in motion all of the initiatives...