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Research Centers

The Library of Congress welcomes you to its reading rooms and research centers. Whether you are a long-time researcher, are embarking on your first research project, or just browsing our collections, our reference staff is committed to making your time here a success. We’re excited to welcome you to one of our reading rooms or research centers. Remember, the Library of Congress is your library!

If you already know which reading room or research center you need, or want to explore our collections, jump right in below. If you are not sure where to start, consider browsing the Library’s Frequently Asked Questions or submitting your own Ask a Librarian question, which will get routed to the appropriate subject specialist to answer.

To learn more about the history of the Library of Congress, visit About the Library.

M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
African and Middle Eastern Reading Room The African and Middle Eastern Division (AMED) was created in 1978 as part of a general Library of Congress reorganization. AMED currently consists of three sections - African, Hebraic and Near East…
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
American Folklife Center The American Folklife Center (AFC) documents and shares the many expressions of human experience to inspire, revitalize, and perpetuate living cultural traditions. Designated by the U.S. Congress as the national center for…
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Asian Reading Room Located on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, the Asian Reading Room is where the public and scholars alike may freely access more than 4 million physical items that make…
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
European Reading Room The European Reading Room should be the starting point for readers and researchers whose interest relates to European countries, including the Russian-speaking areas of Asia, but excluding Spain, Portugal, and the British…
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Geography and Map Reading Room The Geography and Map Division (G&M) of the Library of Congress provides cartographic and geographic information for all parts of the world: to Congress, federal agencies, state and local governments, the scholarly…
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Hispanic Reading Room The Hispanic Reading Room is an important access point at the Library of Congress for researchers working on the Caribbean, Latin America, Spain and Portugal; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and…
M-Sat, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Law Library of Congress The mission of the Law Library of Congress is to provide authoritative legal research, reference and instruction services, and access to an unrivaled collection of U.S., foreign, comparative, and international law. To…
M-Th 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m; F-Sat, 8:30am - 5:00pm
Main Reading Room The Main Reading Room is one of the principal reference and book service points for the Library's general collections. Located in room LJ 100 on the first floor of the Thomas Jefferson…
M-Sat, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Manuscript Reading Room The Manuscript Division seeks to acquire, preserve, and make available for research use personal papers and organizational records documenting the scope and diversity of the American experience.
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Moving Image Research Center The Moving Image Research Center provides access and information services to an international community of film and television professionals, archivists, scholars, and researchers. The Library of Congress began collecting motion pictures in…
M-Th 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m; F-Sat, 8:30am - 5:00pm
Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room The Newspaper and Current Periodical Reading Room is the gateway to the newspaper, comic book, current periodicals, and government document collections held by the Serial and Government Publications Division. The Division holds…
M-Sat, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Performing Arts Reading Room The Performing Arts Reading Room is the access point for the vast and diverse collections in the custody of the Music Division at the Library of Congress. Numbering over 25 million items…
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Prints and Photographs Reading Room The Prints & Photographs Reading Room is your access point to many of the Library’s visual collections. Some collections are online and others await your in-person visit. Unique in their scope and…
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room The unique materials of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, now totaling nearly 1 million items, include books, broadsides, pamphlets, theater playbills, prints, posters, photographs, modern and contemporary artists’ books, medieval…
M-F, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Recorded Sound Research Center The Recorded Sound Research Center provides access to the commercial and archival audio holdings of the Library of Congress. The Library's audio collections are now the largest in the United States and…
M-Th 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m; F-Sat, 8:30am - 5:00pm
Science and Business Reading Room The Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress serves as the gateway for science, engineering, business, and economics research. Science and business specialists serve the Library’s mission to engage,…