The highest poetry office in the country belongs—both literally and symbolically—to the U.S. Poet Laureate. Headquartered at the Library's Poetry Office in the attic of the Thomas Jefferson Building, the poet laureateship is the primary national position dedicated to raising awareness and appreciation of poetry among the American public.

The Library of Congress is in the process of developing research guides for each U.S. Poet Laureate (1986-present) and Consultant in Poetry (1937-1985) to the Library of Congress. Each guide offers an overview of the activities of the poet laureate during his or her tenure, and provides access to press releases, webcasts, blog posts, and a wealth of other resources through the Library's website and elsewhere on Web documenting the laureate's work. To facilitate research on each laureate at the Library of Congress and through other libraries, each guide also includes a bibliography of each poet's works and suggestions for locating scholarship on each laureate's life and writing. Guides currently available are linked below; new guides will be added upon completion.

Consult the Library's main Poet Laureate pages for detailed information about the history of the position. If you need additional assistance, contact the Library of Congress.