Frequently Asked Questions: Manuscripts

The Manuscript Division is the custodian of many, but not all, collections of personal papers of U.S. Congressmen, Congresswomen, and Senators. Each of these collections is represented by a catalog record in the Library of Congress Online Public Access Catalog. 

The published guide, Members of Congress : A Checklist of Their Papers in the Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, (Library of Congress, 1980) lists 1,109 Members of Congress and the locations of relevant material in the Manuscript Division that were acquired prior to 1980. The full text of this publication is available digitally through its catalog record. 

Many members of Congress donate their papers to research repositories in their home states after they leave office. The online Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-present, includes information about the location of personal papers of members of Congress. This directory includes reference to collections in the Manuscript Division.

The official records of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives remain the property of the Federal Government and are made available by the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives and Records Administration.