Frequently Asked Questions: General

If you have a Library of Congress-issued library card and are planning to visit the Library, you will be able to request materials from the Library's general collections of books and bound periodicals to use in a reading room.

Please contact the associated reading room before your visit to introduce yourself and to ensure that the materials you would like to see are onsite and available when you arrive. 

Reading Room-Specific Guides

Some reading rooms have additional FAQs with specific information related to their collections and procedures.

• Requesting Law Library Materials
• Requesting Manuscripts Materials
• Requesting Newspaper and Current Periodical Materials
• Requesting Rare Books and Special Collections Materials

If you are not sure where to start, consider browsing our other Frequently Asked Questions or submitting an Ask a Librarian question, which will get routed to the appropriate subject specialist to answer.