Library of Congress

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress

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

Preliminary drawing for a mural in the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress by Cândido Portinari, 1941.

map of the National Mall, Washington, D.C.

For Students

Library of Congress summary

Read Next

Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting

Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?

What State Is Washington, D.C. In?

Pro and Con: Statehood for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia

The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered

Bar graph of the United States Death Toll during major events. Infogram chart.

U.S. Death Toll During Major Events

Discover

Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C. c. 1921-1923. Physicist

The Solar Eclipse That Made Albert Einstein a Science Celebrity

A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England

Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution

General Pershing's troops moving into Mexico in 1917 during World War I.

Timeline of World War I

African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights.

Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd

Causes of the Great Depression

Eid al-Fitr

Arts & Culture

Library of Congress

library, Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Written by James H. Billington

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 21, 2024 • Article History

Thomas Jefferson Building, Library of Congress

See all media

Category: Arts & Culture

Date:: April 24, 1800 - present

Areas Of Involvement:: map; book; score; library science; manuscript

Related People:: Carla Hayden; Archibald MacLeish; Herbert Putnam; Oscar Sonneck; James Hadley Billington

See all related content →

Recent News

Mar. 21, 2024, 12:40 PM ET (AP)

Elton John and Bernie Taupin honored with prestigious Library of Congress Gershwin Prize

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 resources. It is the national centre for library service to the blind and physically handicapped, and it offers many concerts, lectures, and exhibitions for the ...(100 of 1399 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.