The Library of Congress Online
Janet Foster
The Library of Congress (LOC) is a treasure trove of United States memorabilia, historical exhibits, and government and legislative information. At the Library of Congress Web site, users will find easy access to the LOC catalog, U.S. Copyright Office information and publications, special exhibits, and Congressional information.
Patrons can visit virtual exhibits and digital library collections while librarians can peruse an abundance of research tools and services. Highlights include the catalogs of the Library of Congress (and other libraries) and special topic databases, as well as such traditional library fare as acquisitions, cataloging, preservation, research, standards, and special programs.
Descriptions of a few of the major LOC offerings follow.
Library of Congress Exhibitions
The Library of Congress exhibitions are organized by collections that belong to LOC (on such disparate topics as Frank Lloyd Wright and the Gettysburg Address) and those from other “Great Libraries and Written Traditions,” such as exhibits on “Creating French Culture” and the Dead Sea Scrolls. One of the current feature attractions is the American Treasures of the Library of Congress.
American Treasures of the Library of Congress
The American Treasures exhibit highlights important items from the Library of Congress collections and includes a detailed history with notes on the significance of each object. The collection is organized in the same fashion as that used by Thomas Jefferson, whose personal library became the core of the Library of Congress. He arranged his books into three types of knowledge, corresponding to three faculties of the mind: memory (history), reason (philosophy), and imagination (fine arts).
Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten draft of the Declaration of Independence is accessible online in this collection. History buffs and others will experience the wonder of viewing one of the founding documents of America, made readily available to all United States citizens. At the click of a mouse, librarians and patrons can view this and other treasures that render an exceptional and engaging portrait of American history.
Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet
An excellent resource for information regarding the federal government is Thomas: Legislative Information on the Internet. As stated on the home page, this information is brought to you “In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, [as] a service of the Library of Congress.”
Thomas includes information on legislation, the congressional record, and committee work. It also provides access to the House Floor This Week, House Floor Now, and Senate Schedule databases. In addition, there is a section on the legislative process, which includes essays such as “How Our Laws Are Made,” an explanation of the lawmaking process from the origin of a legislative proposal through its publication as a law. Thomas has become the largest disseminator of national legislative information in the world. Among its offerings are bill summaries and status, full text of bills, major legislation enacted into law, Congressional directory information, and a selection of historical documents.
American Memory
The American Memory Project aims to make millions of rare and unique LOC items relating to American history freely available on the Internet. This cyber-collection is a remarkable example of how a national library can provide a digital portal into its own archival holdings and into the history of a nation as well.
The American Memory Historical Collections feature digitized documents, photographs, sound recordings, video clips, and text from the library’s Americana collections. The collections can be searched by subject or format. The Learning Page provides information about using the materials in the American Memory collections, lesson plans, a tutorial, and links to related Web pages that children’s librarians and educators should find particularly helpful.
The site includes collections of multimedia resources on topics including (but not limited to):
- American Perspectives. Pamphlets from the Daniel A. P. Murray Collection, 1818–1907
- Before and After the Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco, 1897–1916
- The American Variety Stage—Vaudeville and Popular Entertainment, 1870–1920
- Words and Deeds in American History: Selected Documents Celebrating the Manuscript Division’s First 100 Years
The American Memory site also includes Today in History, a feature that covers the current day and offers a searchable archive for all 365 days in the year. The newest collections, and updates to older collections, are highlighted in the What’s New area; while the Future Collections page details ongoing work. Information on using the collections effectively is also provided on the Frequently Asked Questions page.
The Library of Congress Postage Stamp
Established by an act of Congress on April 24, 1800, the Library of Congress marked its bicentennial in April 2000 with a national celebration. The United States Postal Service joined in the festivities with the issuance of a commemorative stamp, which features a 1980 photograph by Michael Freeman of the interior dome and several of the arched windows in the Main Reading Room of the Thomas Jefferson building. An image of and information about the LOC Commemorative Stamp can be found at the STAMPSOnline Web site.
Summary
The information available at the Library of Congress Web site is staggering: Civil War photos, sound recordings of WWI speeches, downloadable movie files, and early motion pictures. You can search Thomas, the library’s preeminent government database, or view the nation’s most treasured documents. With thousands of maps, photos, documents, drawings, and even film and sound files posted daily, the Library of Congress online provides a wealth of cyber information for history seekers, Web surfers, and all United States citizens.
Web Sites
American Memory
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress
American Treasures
STAMPSOnline
Thomas: Legislative Information on the
Internet