Librarian of Congress James H. Billington to retire Sept. 30

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced Friday he will retire on Sept. 30, three months earlier than scheduled.In a letter to staff, Billington said the job that he has held for 28 years has been "the great honor and joy of my life" but that he will step down next week to "begin spending time on long-postponed writing projects and with my beloved family."