Facts about The Library of Congress
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Over 173 million items fill the Library of Congress collections, including 17 million books, 173 million manuscripts, and the largest collection of American legal documents in existence.
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Copyright registration in the United States requires depositing copies of works with the Library of Congress, making it a legal repository for American creative output.
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Each year, the Library of Congress acquires millions of new items through purchases, gifts, exchanges, and copyright deposits.
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Located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the Library of Congress occupies three massive buildings named after Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison.
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American poet Archibald MacLeish served as Librarian of Congress from 1939 to 1944, modernizing its operations during World War II.
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Serving as the research arm of the U.S. Congress, the Library of Congress provides reference services to members of Congress through its Congressional Research Service.
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Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, housing tens of millions of items across multiple formats.