Spofford, Ainsworth Rand

Ainsworth Rand (1825-), a noted American librarian. Spofford is a native of New Hampshire. He was for years a bookseller and publisher in Cincinnati. Prior to the Civil War he was associate editor of the Cincinnati Daily Commercial, a position which he resigned to become assistant librarian of Congress. Later he acted as librarian-in-chief. Mr. Spofford is known in the world of letters as a compiler rather than an author. Among the pieces of work credited to him are catalogs of the Congressional Library, Annual American Almanac, Library of Choice Literature (ten volumes), Library of Wit and Humor (five volumes), and other works of less note.