In the event of a temporary shutdown of the federal government effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, all Library of Congress buildings will be CLOSED to the public and researchers. All public events will be cancelled until the shutdown is concluded and federal funding resumed. More information.
Who can visit the Rare Book Reading Room and what will I see there?
Anyone can visit the Rare Book Reading Room!
Just want to take a peek? The division's permanent reading room, modeled after Philadelphia's Independence Hall, houses the divisional catalogs, reference collection, and reference staff. Stop by to view the first edition of the Book of Mormon on display, poke through our card catalog, or speak to a Reference Specialist.
The reading room is located in the Thomas Jefferson Building, room 239.
Requesting Rare Materials
Please note that anyone wishing to request rare materials must have an adult Library of Congress library card (18 years of age and older) at time of submitting requests to access material in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. See more about the Division's policies here.
We hope that this is helpful; If not, please feel free to submit your question to begin a conversation with a Reference Librarian.
This portal includes some of the most interesting and important items in the collection, including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, Thomas Jefferson’s copy of The Federalist, medieval manuscripts, books relating to cookery, children's literature, and many more.
