8 Cool Things About the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress (LOC) is a historical institution whose origins date back to the 1800s. Now a network of campuses, collections, and media, the LOC has become a staple of the United States.

While the average person may recognize the LOC for housing the Declaration of Independence or being the largest library in the world, there’s so much more to discover about this remarkable institution. Here are eight interesting facts you might not know about the Library of Congress.

What Is the Library of Congress?

Based in Washington, DC, the Library of Congress is the world’s most extensive library, housing millions of books, films, and other materials. The LOC serves as the primary research center for the US Congress and includes the US Copyright Office. As stated on its website, “the Library preserves and provides access to a rich, diverse and enduring source of knowledge to inform, inspire and engage you in your intellectual and creative endeavors.”

Construction of the LOC began inside the original US Capitol in 1800 before expanding to the separate Thomas Jefferson Building in 1897. The John Adams Building was completed in 1938, followed by the James Madison Memorial Building in 1981. Other facilities associated with the Library of Congress include the High Density Storage Facility in Fort Meade, MD, and the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpeper, VA.

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What Sets the LOC Apart from Other Libraries?

Aside from its size, what differentiates the Library of Congress from typical US public libraries is its access to materials. Conventional libraries allow patrons to check out materials for use at home. While all are welcome to use materials within the Library of Congress so long as they’re above the age of sixteen, they must remain within the confines of the building(s). Thus, the Library of Congress is classified as a research library.

1. The LOC Has an Early History of Perseverance

The founding of the Library of Congress in 1800 makes it the oldest federal institution in the United States. Interestingly, shortly after its initial development, British troops burned the Capitol building on August 24, 1814. This event destroyed the library’s core collection of 3,000 volumes. Even so, Congress reignited the library in 1815 by purchasing Thomas Jefferson’s personal collection of 6,487 books for $23,950.

2. It Houses the Largest Rare Book Collection in North America

One of several unique collections, the LOC’s collection of rare materials comprises approximately 800,000 items in total. Examples include Thomas Jefferson’s copy of The Federalist, the Dunlap Declaration of Independence, and an original copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. According to the LOC, “all of these collections offer scholarly documentation about the Western and American traditions of life and learning.”

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3. It Is a Constantly Evolving Repository of Literary Materials

The Library of Congress receives up to 15,000 items and adds 10,000 items to its collections every working day. Materials are acquired as copyright deposits via gifts, government agencies, or purchases. They’re then cataloged in publication before being distributed to other libraries or abroad. Materials not selected for collections are repurposed for the library’s national and international exchange programs.

4. It Has a Designated Program for People with Visual Impairments

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) is a subsidiary of the LOC that provides free audiobook and braille library services for individuals who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind. The LOC utilizes a national network of partnering libraries that allow patrons to automatically download materials in audio and braille to their personal devices or have them delivered by mail for free. The NLS also serves people with physical disabilities, people with reading disabilities, and veterans.

5. It Offers a Vast Selection of International Materials

Among the many impressive elements of the LOC is its endless collection of international titles. About half of the library’s materials are in languages other than English—470 vernaculars as of today. The library’s international collections date back to 1962, when it began acquiring, cataloging, and preserving materials from countries that lacked conventional methods of accession. The Library of Congress houses materials from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Iberia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

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6. It Contains Some of the Most Unique Books You’ll Find at a Library

Along with its collection of rare books, the LOC is home to exciting titles that you wouldn’t otherwise see at a typical library. One of these includes the smallest book in the library’s collection, Old King Cole, which is around the size of a period. By contrast, their largest literary work, Bhutan, is a five-by-seven-foot book featuring color images of the Himalayan kingdom. The LOC also contains the oldest example of printing, presidential papers, and the Gutenberg Bible.

7. It Hosts an Annual National Book Festival

The LOC’s 2025 National Book Festival will be held on Saturday, September 6, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with doors opening at 8:30 am. The festival is free to attend and takes place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in DC. Attendees can expect to hear from several speakers, with programs being streamed online and recordings of the events available after the festival.

8. It Provides Access to a Wide Range of Media

Of course, the LOC’s primary goal is to make unusual books accessible to the public, thereby intersecting with history. Even so, books are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the LOC’s materials. The Library of Congress also features prints, photographs, music, motion pictures, recorded sound, broadcasting, digital talking books, cartography, comic books, newspapers, phone directories, scientific information, and more.

The Library of Congress is a fascinating center of knowledge, research, and history. You can reserve free timed-entry tickets to visit the library’s Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, DC. Additionally, you can explore the library’s free digital collections from the comfort of home at any time.

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