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.