Introducing loc.gov
The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with more than 130 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 29 million books and other printed materials, 2.7 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.8 million maps, and 58 million manuscripts. Use the sites below to become better acquainted with some of the resources available at www.loc.gov.
American Memory
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html
More than120 collections of multimedia
primary sources in American history and culture.
Global Gateway
http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html
Portal to bilingual multimedia collections
created in collaboration with international partners, compilation of Library
online international collections, plus databases and resources for international
study.
THOMAS
http://thomas.loc.gov/
Legislative information, 101st –
110th Congresses (1989-present). Includes bills, legislation,
Congressional Record, treaties, committee reports, and links to other Congressional
materials and resources.
Exhibitions
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/
Online presentations of exhibitions
held at the Library. Topics include architecture, political cartoons, historical
events, American culture, and more.
Library of Congress Presents. . . Music, Theater & Dance
http://www.loc.gov/rr/perform/ihas/ihashome.html
Sound recordings, sheet music, memorabilia,
photographs, and papers of individuals in the fields of music, theater, and
dance.
Minerva: Web Archiving
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cocoon/minerva/html/minerva-home.html
Web pages captured and archived for
September 11, 2001, 2000 and 2002 elections, with more in production.
Webcasts
http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/
Streaming video of speakers on a variety
of topics who have appeared in Library events, seminars, and forums. See
Journeys and Crossings (http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/journey/)
for presentations by selected Library curators on collections in their care.
Map Collections, 1500-2004
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html
Maps grouped in seven categories: Cities & Towns,
Conservation and Environment, Cultural Landscapes, Discovery & Exploration,
General, Military Battles & Campaigns, and Transportation & Communication.
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html
Catalog records and digital images
representing a rich cross-section of still pictures held by the Prints & Photographs
Division and other units of the Library.
Online Search Options
http://www.loc.gov/search/
List of links to various search tools
throughout the Library’s web site. Includes web page search, catalogs, plus
other online resources and collections by topic.
Bibliographies by the Digital Reference Team
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/bibguide.html
Guides to the online collections and
resources held at the Library.
Bibliographies, Research Guides, & Finding Aids
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/bibhome.html
Guides to the physical and online
collections and resources held at the Library.
Search Help for American Memory
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/help/search_help.html
Tips and strategies for searching
American Memory’ digital archive.
Library of Congress Online Catalog
http://catalog.loc.gov/
Access to the catalog, plus links
to the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog and the Sound Online Inventory
Research Centers
http://www.loc.gov/rr/research-centers.html
Links to the home pages of LC’s reading
rooms. Home pages contain finding aids to LC holdings and web links to related
resources
Ask A Librarian
http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/
Email and/or chat with Library staff. Use the Digital Reference Team (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-digital.html) for
questions relating to the resources on the Library’s web site.
U.S. Copyright Office
http://www.copyright.gov/
Information Circulars & Factsheets (http://www.copyright.gov/circs/) contains
information on Fair Use guidelines for educators and copyright registration
for various media formats.
Copyright & Other Restrictions That Apply to Publication/Distribution
of Images
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/195_copr.html
Thorough discussion of copyright as
applied to the images in the Prints & Photographs Division. The Prints & Photographs
Online Catalog (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalogabt.html)
provides access to over one million images from its collections.
Copyright & The Collections
http://www.loc.gov/homepage/legal.html#copyright
General legal statement regarding
collections held by the Library. Individual restriction statements accompany
each collection and are linked from the collection’s home page.
American Memory FAQ
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/help/faq.html
Procedure for downloading and saving
multimedia files, linking and bookmarking on the Library’s web site, and
copyright restriction statement.
How To View
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/help/view.html
Players and viewers for the multimedia file
formats found on the Library’s web site.
Virtual Programs & Services
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/
Access to videoconferencing and webconferencing
opportunities, plus webliographies and other online resources.