Learn More about the Library of Congress

"The Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations."

"The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with nearly 130 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves."

The collections include: books and other printed materials, sound and motion picture recordings, photographs, maps, and manuscripts.

Reference: Welcome from the Office of the Librarian http://www.loc.gov/about/ 08/15/05

• As large and diverse as the Library's collections are, it does not have every book ever published.
• While virtually all subject areas are represented in the collections, the Library does not attempt to collect comprehensively in the areas of clinical medicine and technical agriculture, which are covered by the National Library of Medicine and the National Agricultural Library, respectively.
• Researchers should also note that the Library of Congress is distinct from the National Archives, which is the major repository for the official records of the United States government.

Reference: Research and Reference Frequently Asked Questions http://www.loc.gov/rr/res-faq.html 08/15/05

Things to Remember When Using the Library of Congress Web site

• The Library of Congress’ Collections are not encyclopedic.

• The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library. The primary function is to serve Congress and the American people.

• There are many different places on the Library of Congress Web site to locate primary source items and information.
• Library of Congress search boxes in different areas of the LOC.gov Web site will locate various types of resources.