In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, all Library of Congress buildings will be CLOSED to the public and researchers. All public events will be cancelled until the shutdown is concluded and federal funding resumed. More information.
How can I access Asian Reading Room books and collections through my local library?
If you are not located in or near Washington, DC, you may access books from our catalog through the Inter-Library Loan (ILL) system. Please speak with your local librarian about how to put in a request for materials to be sent to your library.
There are some restrictions on what items you may borrow. All Rare Book Collection materials are restricted to on-site only access. If a librarian deems the item requested too fragile or rare (out-of-print, etc.), the request will not be processed. For more information about ILL please visit this website: : http://www.loc.gov/rr/loan/.
