Use of Materials

The primary function of the Library of Congress is to serve the Congress. In addition, the Library provides service to government agencies, other libraries, scholars, and the general public. The Library welcomes public use of its general reference facilities and endeavors to offer the widest possible use of its collections consistent with their preservation and with the Library's obligation to serve the Congress and other government agencies.

Members of the public may request materials for use within the reading rooms. However, members of the public may not borrow books from the Library and remove them from the premises. The Library is primarily a research library, so its lending is restricted to official borrowers or to interlibrary loans to government agency libraries. Under certain conditions, the Library lends material from its collections to other libraries, through established interlibrary loan procedures, for the use of their readers.

As a closed stack library, researchers must request most materials they wish to consult. Materials retrieved for the use of readers may be used only in assigned reading rooms or research facilities. Readers may not remove collections items from the reading room in which they were requested. Under certain conditions, authorized Library staff may transfer materials between reading rooms at the request of a researcher. Those desiring such a service should inquire about the possibility with the reading room staff.

Readers who violate established conditions and/or procedures for using materials from the collections are subject to penalties, including denial of further access to the collections. Repeated violations may result in denial of further access to the premises and denial of further use of the Library's facilities. Mutilation or theft of Library property also may result in criminal prosecution, as set forth in 18 U.S.C. 641, 1361, and 2071; and 22 D.C. Code 3106.

7/24/01

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( October 18, 2002 )