Can the Library grant me permission to publish?

The Library of Congress does not own the copyright in either published or unpublished manuscripts in its custody and can therefore neither grant nor deny permission to publish or quote in published form from manuscripts in its collections. It is the official policy of the Library of Congress that the responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with the persons desiring to use the item. Unpublished manuscripts are protected for the life of the author plus 70 years. See the U.S. Copyright Office website for more information, and Circular 15a regarding copyright duration. 


Last Updated: Jul 02, 2020
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Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington, D.C. 20540-4680