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Library of Congress
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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 cartouche Library of Congress
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.'
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.
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Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress
Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress Aerial view of the Thomas Jefferson Building, the oldest structure in the Library of Congress complex, Washington, D.C.

Library of Congress

library, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Written by
James H. Billington
James Billington served as the Librarian of Congress in Washington, D.C., from 1987 to 2015. He earned his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, and is a former...
James H. Billington
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Library of Congress, the de facto national library of the United States and the largest library in the world. Its collection was growing at a rate of about two million items per year; it reached more than 170 million items in 2020. The Library of Congress serves members, committees, and staff of the U.S. Congress, other government agencies, libraries throughout the country and the world, and the scholars, researchers, artists, and scientists who use its...

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