Can I go into the stacks to browse or retrieve a book?
The Law Library Reading Room holds approximately 30,000 volumes of U.S. federal, state, foreign and international legislative and legal materials, court reports, legal journals, treaties, and legal encyclopedias on open shelves. This collection is accessible to all patrons with a Library of Congress library card.
Access to the closed stacks is not permitted except to authorized Library staff. Researchers may request that items in the closed stacks be delivered to the Law Library Reading Room.
Established by Congress in 1832, the Law Library has a collection of over 2.65 million volumes spanning the ages and covering virtually every jurisdiction in the world.
We cannot provide legal advice, interpretation, or analysis which could be interpreted as the practice of law; extensive bibliographies or legislative histories; or answers for student homework assignments.