Search Results - Library of Congress

Library of Congress

Main reading room in the [[Thomas Jefferson Building]] at the Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LC or sometimes LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers copyright law through the United States Copyright Office, and it houses the Congressional Research Service.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. It is housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill, adjacent to the United States Capitol, along with the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia, and additional storage facilities at Fort George G. Meade and Cabin Branch in Hyattsville, Maryland. The library's functions are overseen by the librarian of Congress, and its buildings are maintained by the architect of the Capitol. The LC is one of the largest libraries in the world, containing approximately 173 million items and employing over 3,000 staff. Its collections are "universal, not limited by subject, format, or national boundary, and include research materials from all parts of the world and in more than 470 languages".

When Congress moved to Washington in November 1800, a small congressional library was housed in the Capitol. Much of the original collection was lost during the 1814 burning of Washington by British forces during the War of 1812. Congress accepted former president Thomas Jefferson's offer to sell his entire personal collection of 6,487 books to restore the library. The collection grew slowly and suffered another major fire in 1851, which destroyed two-thirds of Jefferson's original books.

The Library of Congress faced space shortages, understaffing, and lack of funding, until the American Civil War increased the importance of legislative research to meet the demands of a growing federal government. In 1870, the library gained the right to receive two copies of every copyrightable work printed in the United States; it also built its collections through acquisitions and donations. Between 1890 and 1897, a new library building, now the Thomas Jefferson Building, was constructed. Two additional buildings, the John Adams Building (opened in 1939) and the James Madison Memorial Building (opened in 1980), were later added.

The LC's Congressional Research Service provides objective non-partisan research to Congress to assist it in passing legislation. The library is open to the public for research, although only members of Congress, their staff, and library employees may borrow materials for use outside the library. Provided by Wikipedia
Refine Results
  1. 1

    Library of Congress subject headings

    Published 1980 “…Library of Congress…”
    Book
  2. 2

    Newspaper cataloging manual by Harriman, Robert

    Published 1984 “…Library of Congress…”
    Book
  3. 3
  4. 4

    U.S. books abroad : neglected ambassadors / by Benjamin, Curtis G., 1901-1983

    Published 1984 “…Library of Congress…”
    Book
  5. 5

    Social anarchism / by Baldelli, Giovanni

    Published 1971 “…Anarchism Collection (Library of Congress)…”
    Book
  6. 6

    Library of Congress filing rules /

    Published 1980 “…Library of Congress. Processing Services…”
    Book
  7. 7

    The book of lies / by Meltzer, Brad

    Published 2008

    In 1932, Mitchell Siegel was killed by three gunshots to his chest. While mourning, his son dreamed of a bulletproof man and created the world's greatest hero: Superman. And like Cain's murder weapon, the gun used in this unsolved murder has never been found. Until now. Today in Fort Laude...

    Full description

    “…Copyright Paperback Collection (Library of Congress)…”
    Book
  8. 8

    Encyclopedia of poetry and poetics /

    Published 1965

    This comprehensive reference work deals with all aspects of its subject: history, prosody, types, movements, and critical terminology. Prepared by recognized authorities, its articles treat their topics in sufficient depth to be of value to the scholar as well as to the general reader. Originally pu...

    Full description

    “…Bollingen Foundation Collection (Library of Congress)…”
    Book
  9. 9

    Drowned night : a novel of the Abbadon Inn / by Blaine, Chris

    Published 2005

    In this third novel set at the Abbadon Inn, burned-out New York City cop Ted McShane and his wife Liz arrive in Cape May, New Jersey, as the inn's new proprietors. A series of disturbing occurrences strike locals with the fear that a legendary, bloodthirsty creature has been roused.

    “…Copyright Paperback Collection (Library of Congress)…”
    Contributor biographical information
    Publisher description
    Book
  10. 10

    Serials accessioning manual / by Hirons, Jean L., 1948-

    Published 1985 “…Library of Congress. Serial Record Division…”
    Unknown
  11. 11

    LC thesaurus for graphic materials : topical terms for subject access /

    Published 1987 “…Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Division…”
    Book
  12. 12

    Library of Congress subject headings /

    Published 1986 “…Library of Congress. Subject Cataloging Division…”
    Government Document
  13. 13

    Cataloging rules for the description of looseleaf publications : with special emphasis on legal materials / by Hallam, Adele

    Published 1986 “…Library of Congress. Office for Descriptive Cataloging Policy…”
    Book
  14. 14

    Cataloging rules for the description of looseleaf publications : with special emphasis on legal materials / by Hallam, Adele

    Published 1989 “…Library of Congress. Office for Descriptive Cataloging Policy…”
    Book
  15. 15

    Call us what we carry : poems / by Gorman, Amanda, 1998-

    Published 2021

    "The luminous poetry collection by #1 New York Times bestselling author and presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman captures a shipwrecked moment in time and transforms it into a lyric of hope and healing. In Call Us What We Carry, Gorman explores history, language, identity, and erasure thro...

    Full description

    “…Gene Berry and Jeffrey Campbell Collection (Library of Congress)…”
    Book
  16. 16

    Possession : a romance / by Byatt, A. S. (Antonia Susan), 1936-

    Published 1990 “…Gene Berry and Jeffrey Campbell Collection (Library of Congress)…”
    Contributor biographical information
    Book
  17. 17

    Another world / by Barker, Pat, 1943-

    Published 1998

    A British novel on family tensions whose protagonists include children from a couple's previous marriage and a dying grandfather who is reliving the horrors of World War I.

    “…Gene Berry and Jeffrey Campbell Collection (Library of Congress)…”
    Book
  18. 18

    The book of evidence / by Banville, John

    Published 1989

    The Book of Evidence is Freddie Montgomery's confession of a ghastly, seemingly motiveless murder that he committed on his return to Ireland to reclaim a painting. Freddie Montgomery is a highly cultured man, a husband and father living the life of a dissolute exile on a Mediterranean island....

    Full description

    “…Gene Berry and Jeffrey Campbell Collection (Library of Congress)…”
    Book
  19. 19

    MARC 21 concise formats /

    Published 2006 “…Library of Congress. Network Development and MARC Standards Office…”
    Book
  20. 20

    USMARC format for bibliographic data : including guidelines for content designation /

    Published 1988 “…Library of Congress. Network Development and MARC Standards Office…”
    Book