If you think most of our book collections are in English, you're wrong. About half of these volumes are in other languages. For many areas of the world, such as China, Russia and Latin America, the Library's collections are the finest and most comprehensive outside the country of origin.

The depth, breadth and variety of our collections in hundreds of languages attract scholars from all over the world. Scholars, students and other members of the public who come to Washington can take advantage of these resources in the Asian, Hispanic, European, and African and Middle Eastern reading rooms, as well as consult with our expert reference staff. Materials from outside the United States can also be found in other special-format reading rooms, from maps, atlases and musical manuscripts to rare books, films and sound recordings.

Also, specially appointed scholars use our John W. Kluge Center, where they may use our collections and share their wisdom with government policymakers and the public.

If you can't travel to Washington, you can access a rich selection of the Library's collections and services, including its complete catalog, on our Web site.