Library of Congress: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Sep. 22, 2026

Facts

Date	April 24, 1800 - present
Areas Of Involvement	map • manuscript • legal deposit • book • score • library science
Related People	James Hadley Billington • Carla Hayden • Archibald MacLeish • Daniel J. Boorstin • Herbert Putnam • Oscar Sonneck

Photos and Videos

Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress

View of the Library of Congress Reading Room in Washington, D.C., showing concentric rows of desks with green reading lamps beneath an ornate, domed interior.

Library of Congress

Library of Congress

mural by Cândido Portinari

Map of the National Mall area in Washington, D.C., highlighting major streets, metro stations, parks, government buildings, and prominent points of interest such as museums, memorials, and federal offices. Key landmarks include the Capitol, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian museums, and the Washington Monument, with a numbered legend identifying each site.

Uncover America's past at the Library of Congress, the world's largest library

An image of Joy Harjo, a Native American woman, imposed on a background of a notebook. A blue arrow points to Harjo with the label 'poet laureate.'

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Topics

National Diet Library Bibliothèque Nationale de France British Library Die Deutsche Bibliothek Russian State Library

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