Library of Congress Website

Screen capture of Library of Congress Web page showing photo of researchers in the Library's Main Reading Room

The Library of Congress website provides a wealth of resources that document and describe how it collects, preserves, and provides access to its collections. It also provides access to many tools and standards used nationally and internationally by libraries, archives, and publishers. The majority of these resources are aggregated in the following two portals on the Library's website:

The following is a selection of pages and resources that document the Library's activities and offerings in the field of library and information science. Most of the resources can be accessed through the Librarians and Archivists and Services & Programs portals listed above. Check these portals if a specific Library service in which you are interested does not appear below, or submit your question through the Library's Ask a Librarian service for assistance.

Acquisitions
The Library of Congress acquires materials in all formats (books, periodicals, maps, microforms, music, prints, photographs, recorded sound, videos, electronic, etc.) and in all subjects, except technical agriculture and clinical medicine, from all over the world. The Library of Congress acquisitions divisions on Capitol Hill and its six overseas offices use six methods to acquire materials: Cataloging in Publication, Copyright, Exchange, Gift, Federal Transfer, and Purchase.
Archival Description
Archives and manuscript collections exist throughout the Library of Congress, encompassing a wide variety of material types and subjects. Archival description encompasses the dual processes of cataloging and production of finding aids.
Bibliographic Access/Cataloging
Cataloging staff are responsible for the descriptive cataloging (physical attributes of the book or other material, assignment of intellectual responsibility for the creation of the content, and the forms of names by which those responsible are to be represented in the catalog) and subject analysis of books, periodicals, and special format-materials; and the assignment of classification numbers to most materials. Through the Program for Cooperative Cataloging, the Library coordinates an international consortium that promotes the creation of shared cataloging which meets international standards.
Controlled Vocabularies
Subject cataloging depends on lists of controlled subject access vocabulary and thesauri. Library of Congress catalog records generally feature subject access points from one or more of the thesauri and headings lists on this page.
The Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK)
FEDLINK serves federal libraries & information centers as their purchasing, training & resource-sharing consortium.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
Any domestic and international academic, public, and special library may borrow from the Library of Congress through ILL. Individuals may not borrow directly from the Library of Congress, but will need to go through their public or research library.
LC Labs
The work of LC Labs is to support digital transformation at the Library of Congress.
Preservation
The Library of Congress ensures long-term access to its collections through diverse preservation activities, including collections care, conservation, emergency management, library binding, mass deacidification, preservation reformatting, preservation research and science. The Library also promotes preservation education, awareness, and good practice beyond the Library by offering preservation resources, FAQ, events, and other outreach programs.
Publishing
Resources for publishers, editors, and members of the public interested in Library publications and co-publishing opportunities.
Standards
A list of standards in use at the Library of Congress, including resource description formats, digital library standards, information resource retrieval protocols, and information resource retrieval standards.
U.S. Copyright Office
The U.S. Copyright Office, a department of the Library, administers the Nation’s copyright laws and offers services and support to authors and users of creative works.
Web Archiving
The Library of Congress Web Archive manages, preserves, and provides access to archived web content selected by subject experts from across the Library, so that it will be available for researchers today and in the future. This site provides general information about program activities, information for researchers who are interested in using the web archives, and information for site owners who might be included in the archives.

Library and Information Science: Online Resource Guide

History, Humanities & Social Sciences: Ask a Librarian

Library of Congress Website