Frequently Asked Questions: General

Stacks is a browser-based platform that provides access to rights-restricted digital content in the Library’s permanent collection. There is at least one designated workstation available in every reading room/research center that will allow you to search and access the materials – the content can be viewed and printed out, but not downloaded or saved.

What digital content is available in Stacks? Stacks provides access to digital content from across the Library but primarily contains rights-restricted digital content from the Library’s general and international collections. Highlights available in Stacks include electronic books, journals, and newspapers received as a part of Cataloging-in-Publication program, copyright deposit, and digitized titles from the Library’s print collections. Stacks also includes smaller amounts of rights-restricted audio recordings, films and videos, legal gazettes, manuscripts, music scores, maps, and computer files.

Accessing our Rights-Restricted Content

Where can I find/use Stacks? Access to Stacks is only available to registered researchers at specifically designated reading room computer terminals on the Library’s campus. Contact reference staff corresponding to your research area from the following list of reading rooms or view the embedded step-by-step video below for more information about the Library’s rights-restricted digital content currently available in Stacks.

• African & Middle Eastern Reading Room, Jefferson Building, Room LJ-229
• Asian Reading Room, Jefferson Building, Room LJ-150
• American Folklife Research Center, Jefferson Building, Room LJ-G53
• European Reading Room, Jefferson Building, LJ-249
• Geography & Map Reading Room, Madison Building, Room LM-B01
• Hispanic Reading Room, Jefferson Building, LJ-240
• La Follette Congressional Reading Room, Madison Building, Room LM-202 (for Members of Congress and their staff only)
• Law Library Reading Room, Madison Building, Room LM-242
• Manuscript Reading Room, Madison Building, Room LM-101
• Microform and Electronic Resources Center (MERC), Jefferson Building, Room LJ-139
• Moving Image Research Center, Madison Building, Room LM-336
• Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room, Madison Building, Room LM-133
• Performing Arts Reading Room, Madison Building, Room LM-113
• Recorded Sound Research Center, Madison Building, Room LM-113
• Science and Business Reading Room, Adams Building, Room LA-508