The Space and Access
I had the privilege of visiting the Library of Congress, which can only be described as one of the most enriching experiences as a student of library sciences. Walking into the building built in the 1800s, you see the majestic architecture with columns reaching 75 feet in the air, marble flooring & massive staircases with mosaic walls and stained-glass windows. It is designed to be a research collection for Congress, but it is also open to the public. At the moment, you have to make an online request for a timed entry to visit. When visiting, the most awe-inspiring room was the reading room, where you can order materials and study.
Great Hall. View from the First floor. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.
(Nagashima, S., 2022)
Collections
If you request reading room access, you have access to the world’s greatest collection of humanity’s knowledge. The Library of Congress holds over 173 million items and received more than 15,000 items a day and adds about 10,000 of those to the collection. Also, The Library of Congress is also the largest law library in the world. The collection is vast and diverse with materials in 470 languages.
To get access to the reading room, it is suggested to apply online before your visit. Once there you go to the ground floor level and meet with the very friendly & helpful staff member who verifies your online information, takes your picture, and gives you your card which is valid for two years. Then you can walk across the hall to the entrance to the reading room where you can request materials. Materials if onsite can take an hour to receive or you can request them online and the materials are held for 3 days. If the materials are in another location it may take up to 3 days to receive and the items are held for 14 days.
Main Reading Room, View from research desk first floor. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. (Nagashima, S., 2022)
Special Events & Services
Not only does The Library of Congress have materials to request but they have special events for the public to experience from movies in the great hall to workshops and webinars. One recent special event was a display of the library’s rare books recollecting Juneteenth the emancipation of African Americans which was available for viewing in the main reading room. Another great service they are organizing is called the Veterans History Project. The goal is to collect and make accessible the firsthand remembrances of World War 1 to the present times. Special Libraries have the responsibility to preserve history in all kinds of ways in order to pass it to future generations (Rubin & Rubin, 2020, p. 94-95). To preserve this history is monumental and anyone 15 years or older can get a field kit to learn how to document history.
Signage of Veteran History Project, Ground floor corridor. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. (Nagashima, S., 2022)
Digital Access & Accessibility
The library of Congress’s website is well organized and assessable to all. On most pages, you can alter the language with a simple dropdown button. They are committed to providing access to all and have an ADA coordinator on staff to help arrange interpreting services, touch history tours, and assistance with their BARD mobile app. The BARD mobile app gives access to talking books, braille, and audio recordings. They truly want to be a role model for libraries and offer numerous services and options of ways to access the collection.
This truly was an extraordinary, monumental visit for me and I plan to go back to request some materials and hold history in my hands.
Main Reading Room, Domed Ceiling. Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C. (Nagashima, S., 2022)
References
Nagashima, S. (2022) Great Hall, Main Reading Room, Signage of Veteran History Project, Main Reading Room. [Photographs of Library of Congress]
Rubin, R. E., & Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information science (5th ed.). ALA Neal-Schuman.
Side note: I planned on ordering the first edition of Little Women and reading some of my favorite quotes but the teenagers were finished. OH Darn, I will have to go back! 😊
The special events and programming you mention are huge. Yes, their collection is impressive, but it’s those events and exhibits that really amazed me. I mean, where else can you just say, “I want to create an exhibit about this” and then go to the archives and pull this for your display?
Yes, Todd, so awe-inspiring! Just what we have discussed in our readings.
Since I don’t live in the DC area, I wonder if there is limited capacity for people to participate in their events and programming. I totally missed that part of my visit. Having visited the Library of Congress too, I would love to spend time there each time I visit DC. I think working there would be endlessly fascinating!
Yes! Working there would be aaaamazing!
With so many collections, I think I could spend days and days in there! Was it hard leaving after just a quick visit?
It was really hard to leave because I had a plan but you know I went with teenagers who were ready to go to the next place.
Ahhh, another one who made it to the LOC! I’m feeling slightly more jealous with every post, lol. Thanks for the info on their special programs, that was new to me!
I think you should take a road trip for a movie on the lawn – the LOC opens without a time entry then.
As cool and full of resources as this library is, it definitely gives me the “awe” but not in the best way. I wouldn’t want to be locked in that place overnight. I’m curious how many people are on staff and what the breakdown is (librarian/paraprofessional/support staff). It must be enormous! It is a truly amazing space and certainly one of the jewels of DC.
Lol, yes, overnight would be spooky. I’ve got to say the staff was so diverse, and it was refreshing to see that. I’m not sure about the breakdown, but I know it takes many people to pull the materials. Only two librarians were there for reference in the main reading room when I was there.
Very interesting, and a great explanation of the reading room/circulation process. My special library visit brought me to the Alexandria Public Library special collections, where the librarian was in the process of getting an interlibrary loan from the Library of Congress, so it’s also great to see how that process works on the other side of things. It seems like the Library of Congress is also good about getting their materials out off-site if they are needed as well!
Yes, I see that ILL is an essential process in the big picture.