All Catalog Users now have the option to create a Library of Congress Catalog account. Having an account will allow users to save records and search queries as well as organize them into projects for future use (feature launching late summer 2025). 

Creating a Catalog Account is also the first step in pre-registering for a Reader Identification Card which allows public patrons to use Library reading rooms and request materials. These cards are free-of-charge and are valid for two years from the date of issue.

Patrons can pre-register by following the prompts on the Create an Account page then, once onsite, they must present in person a valid driver's license, state-issued identification card, or passport at a Reader Registration Station, located in the Madison Building, Room LM 133 (in the Newspaper & Current Periodicals Reading Room) or the Jefferson Building, Room LJ 139 (in the Microform and Electronic Resources Center) to complete registration. 

For more information see Get Your Library Card.

Registered readers — as well as Congressional and Library staff with Library of Congress patron accounts — may request materials online through the LC Catalog using their individual "account numbers." See the Guide for Requesting Materials in the Library's Catalog for additional information.