For my special library visit, I chose the Library of Congress which is sponsored by government agencies (Rubin & Rubin, p. 160).  Although initially founded for the use by congress, it is open and available to all citizens.  The library provides information for a practical purpose, research, and includes a large number of specialized collections (Rubin & Rubin, p. 160).

“The Library of Congress’s mission is to engage, inspire, and inform Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. Our vision is that all Americans are connected to the Library of Congress” (LOC Legal, para. 1).

For pictures, I have used images from pixabay as you cannot take pictures in the reading rooms and I couldn’t take a better picture of the outside of the building.  There is more than one building, I visited the main Thomas Jefferson building.

Digital Access  https://www.loc.gov/

The Library of Congress has a formidable web presence.  From the  main page there are links to the library catalogs, digital collections, researchers, visitors, teachers, blogs and the U.S. Copyright Office.  On the digital collections site, the library has hundreds of collections in 15 different subject areas including manuscripts, prints and photographs, and music.  You are also able to access resources in eight different media formats.  There are also individual websites for each of the 21 reading rooms and research centers.  Of note, there are materials available in more than 470 languages.  Some databases are available online but there are also a number of databases that you need to be onsite to use. There are some databases that are available through local libraries.  The site provides the ability to submit forms to ask general questions, to ask a specialist or even to chat online with a librarian.  

The website is a critical first step if you plan to visit the Library of Congress.  You need to schedule a timed entry (due to COVID).  It is recommended but not required that you make an appointment in advance to visit your choice of reading room.  Before you are able to visit any of the reading rooms, be prepared to stand in line to get a Library of Congress reader card.  You can pre-register in advance online.  Once you’ve had your picture taken and a reader ID card printed, you can enter the reading room of your choice in different parts of the building. 

You are encouraged to communicate with a librarian in advance of going to the library because some materials are stored offsite and require time to be requested and arrive at the library. Once you have your reader card, you can do your research and place your request for materials online before your visit to the library. Your materials will be held up to three days for you in the reading room of your choice.  If you wait to do research on site, once you have found the materials in the catalog, you request the materials and wait 30-45 minutes for them to arrive at the desk of the reading room where you are located.  I observed people picking up books at the reference desk in the main reading room and it seems to be a seamless process.  

Space and collections

The Library of Congress has two ways to visit.  You can go to the public areas which are like a large museum with exhibitions.  For example, on the first floor for visitors there is a Gutenberg Bible and docents to help guide you and answer questions.  I chose the other alternative to visit as a researcher in the main reading room.  The building is enormous and It took some navigating and several elevators to find the reader registration desk which is across from the main reading room. Although I waited in line for about 30 minutes to get my reader card, in the future I will be able to sign the register and go directly into the reading room (for two years).  NOTE: if you are doing research, you cannot bring in a bag of any kind.  You need to check it at the desk when you enter.  You may, however, take a notebook and pen or a laptop.

Once in the reading room, it was very quiet even though there is an echo. While I was there, I saw several people doing research but mostly people were coming in and out just to look at the room.  The reading room itself is very large with a large number of work carrels in circles around the reference/information desk.  Around the outside of the room is a series of alcoves which house materials that you can browse by Library of Congress classification numbers.  A computer station and work table are located in each alcove where you can use the card catalog.  Another interesting feature is that there is a spiral staircase in each alcove that leads to a second level.  With the exception of these spiral staircases, the building and the reading room are wheelchair accessible. In the reading room, you are not permitted to take pictures.  If you wish to make a copy of what you are reading, there are scanners to scan your materials as long as you have a USB drive.

People

I observed multiple ethnicities and nationalities of people standing in line to get the reader card to go into the reading rooms.  Outside the reading room there were brochures that indicated which call numbers were in which alcoves with a general map as well as a list of all of the different reading rooms.  There were also two reference librarians available to help you.  In the reading room itself, there were two librarians of color, one male and one female at the reference/information desk.  There is a large collection for the visually impaired on the library website, but it was not apparent how people would access those resources when present at the library.

Overall, the main reading room felt like a big public library with a reference librarian available to help you or to answer questions. The main barrier to access was getting the reader’s card to enter the reading rooms and research centers.

References

Kqcycler (2018). us-library-of-congress-library-376072. Pixabay CC-0.  https://pixabay.com/photos/us-library-of-congress-library-3762072/

Library of Congress (2020, December 17). Legal. https://www.loc.gov/legal/

Rubin, R. E. & Rubin, R. G. (2020).  Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.

Wikilmages (2013). library-library-of-congress-loc-74038. Pixabay CC-0. https://pixabay.com/photos/library-library-of-congress-loc-74038/