The Library of Congress at Your Fingertips

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To visit The Library of Congress has long been thought of as a distinguished event for the privileged few. Most people throughout the world are unable to get to Washington D.C., so the plethora of resources housed in the library has remained untapped for the general population. However, as the Library of Congress continues to digitize more and more of the material in their collections, universal access to human knowledge seems in much closer reach. A child on the coast of Oregon or a CEO in Russia will be able to browse the material in the Library of Congress without the expensive plane ticket to D.C. Furthermore, books that were once considered too fragile to lend out will be available for use digitally.

The Library of Congress officially opened its scanning center this past January, and footage from the launch is now available on Internet Archive. The current holdings of Library of Congress books on Internet Archive can be found within their collection page, which now boasts more than 30,000 items.

Internet Archive is extremely pleased to be a part of this wonderful project, which we see as a perfect example of the far-reaching possibilities of digital archiving and open sharing.

–Cara Binder

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40 thoughts on “The Library of Congress at Your Fingertips”

    1. Sarah Rouse

      Great comment–are you writing from India and as a citizen of India? If so, can I quote you for a Web article I am writing for the US State Department about overseas users of the IA’s Library of Congress materials? Any further specific comments?
      Thank you.

  2. dydy

    pleas i want to know the philosopher Charles Hartshorne more but l can’t find any books in the library what can i do ?

  3. Rob Moose

    Just what I’ve been looking for, more access to Library of Congress, GREAT!!!

  4. Bonnie Lege

    I have been looking for specific information about copyright entries for J.A. Meliodon Sculptor for the year 1925 works of art he created for the Armor Bronze Company and any entries he copyrighted. Especially a work entitled “Indian” made of bronze clad. Any Information would be appreciated.

    Sincerely,

  5. Billie Jeanne Dougherty

    I was born December 19, 1928. Some young girl made the newspapers as a heroine some where during that period before i was born. Can you find the article; her name would have been Billie Jean something. Thanks

  7. amal

    iam looking for published thesis & phd aout the development of american curriculum in the american universities

  8. Gilbert O'

    The most unfortunate part of this is that noone cares. This ia not meant as a criticism of this, simply an observation. That’s just life. People don’t care.

    And it’s so not cool.

  9. iftikhar Alam Khan

    I am interested in the life and works of Sir Syed Ahmed khan,a 19th century reformer and educationist.

  10. Dee Rearden

    I would like to learn more about Dr.and author; Henry Reed Stiles( 1832-1909). He wrote several books and I am looking for his book; “Genealogy of the Massachusetts Family of Stiles” and a similar book; Genealogy of the Connecticut Family of Stiles. This last book is not a complete title. It is similar in title and has a different author, I THINK.

    Thank you so much for your assistance.

    1. Denevia Stiles Rearden

      I tried to upload “The Genealogy of the Massachusetts Family of Stiles” by Henry Reed Stiles.

      I could see small images of pages of this book; at least I’m comfortably sure it was the above listed book. I reread how to print this book but I didn’t succeed in getting a copy.

      Can you assist me with my problem? I’m also interested in “Genealogies of the Stiles Family in Connecticut”. This book name may only be similar to the true title. Both books are authored by Henry Reed Stiles.

      Thank you for your assistance.

  11. Ed Monath

    Good Day!

    Researching one room school house near Westminster in Carroll County Maryland USA. (now private residence).

    Labor of Love.

    Property now located Kate Wagner Court, Westminster, MD.

    Name(s) of school: Friendship Public School No.6;
    Friendship Public School; Stone Market School.

    Have been researching since summer 2007; Land records; Historical Society, Carroll County & State Archives; Carroll County Court House; Library; other.

    Seeking:
    To be determined:

    When was building built?

    When was school in operation?

    When did it stop being a school?

    Where was school held when this building stopped being used for classes?

    Other?

    New school: Friendship Elementry, Gist Road, Westminster, Maryland; Gateway School, Kate Wagner Road, Westminster, Maryland?

    Any assistance, suggestions you can share would be greatly appreciated and welcomed. Thank you.

    Respectfully,

    Ed Monath

    Mailing address:

    PO Box 96
    McSherrystown,PA 17344

  13. FATIMA MAAMERI

    all the documents from the early republic i needed for my PhD i found them in this website along with LOC online. thank you for making that available for scholars from far away countries like my country Algeria.

  15. Mary Daveas

    I have sets of books of Wm. Shakespeare’s plays and a set of the Pocket Library of The World’s Essential Knowledge (copyrighted 1929). I would like to sell them. They are cloth, hardbacked covers and the size is 4″ x 6″. Where might I find a market for these?

  16. Jerrieann Yeager

    http://internetarchive.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/the-library-of-congress-at-your-fingertips/

    I saved the above address in order to get back to trying to find a photo of my great grand-day in the Civil War Veterans gatherings Photo that I had found posted during the past yr sometime. Now I can’t seem to even locate them again. I am so hoping to get a photo that has his picture and I am certain he went to these gatherings and I would recognize him because I have a picture of him from later half of 1800’s Please help. To find a photo is very important to me and I could use it in my informative speech for UDC members this spring.

  18. Marilynn Merrifield

    .I am looking for information on the publication titled The Celebration of the great life of prof.Augustine Nwaneri Uzoma Njoku-Obi k.s.c. His life was from 1930 – 2003. This publication seems to be identified by LCCN2004Verizon377143 agination: 56 The following letters and numbers seem to relate someway: LC MLCM2005/04610 (B) Where can I obtain this – or is it possible to read it on line?

  19. dr akhtar ali

    i am looking for british east copany records from start to 1857 if some one provide me a link for free download text

  20. dr akhtar ali

    i am looking for ancient tribes of north india [present day pakistan] provide me a link not of wiki

  23. Rangarajan

    I am sad that I dont have full life to enjoy the Fruits of LOC and other virtual Libraries. Better late than never has become my motto and I am greedily savouring the delicacies thro PDF

  25. Carl Floyd Lindstrom

    Hi, hope you are well. I am looking to get a copy of a pamphlet. It is “Teddy Bears and Bean Sprouts” by Ivens, B & Weil, WB. First edition is 1989 and second is 1998. I think it’s about vegetarian diet for toddlers and was produced by Gerber Products. It is mentioned in “Health Promotion” (3rd ed.) by Edelman & Mandle. Tx. PS: I would like these as free downloads.

  26. thetownsendreport

    I am looking for the “Autobiography of Francis Torrey Townsend : and genealogy of the Townsends / Townsend, Francis Torrey, b. 1829 ” if it exists in digital please let me know

  27. Nasir Imam

    This wonderful, I have always dreamed of stepping into the hallowed chambers of the Library of Congress, now you have made that dream possible

  28. Jessie Moser

    I have an old copy of A Treatise on Embroidery and I never knew what year it was printed until I found it intact on this website. 1907. Did you know grass bleached linen is stronger than chemically bleached linen…..this and other obscure old knowledge is lovingly preserved here. Thank you for this.

  31. طالب العراقي

    مرحبا ارجوا مساعدتي في الحصول على سجلات ووثائق شركة ارامكو الامريكة العاملة في السعودية منذ 1933 -1980 ؟ لغرض البحث العلمي .

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