Account Help: LC Catalog (Library of Congress)

Reader Registration

Public patrons of the Library's research areas, including Research Centers and Copyright Office public service areas, are required to have a Reader Identification Card issued by the Library. These cards are free-of-charge and are valid for two years from the date of issue. Researchers must be at least 16 years old at the time of registration.

Sample Library of Congress Reader Identification Card

Library patrons must register in person at the Reader Registration and Researcher Guidance Office, located in the Madison Building, Room LM 133 (in the Newspaper & Current Periodicals Reading Room) or the Jefferson Building, Room LJ 139 (in the Microform and Electronic Resources Center). Please present a valid driver's license, state-issued identification card, or passport as proof of identification. Once your ID has been verified, Library staff will take an identification photo, have you provide a digitized signature, and give you your registration card.

Reader Registration Hours

Reader registration stations are open Monday through Saturday (stations are closed Sundays and Federal holidays opens in a new window):

Madison Building (Room LM 133): 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Saturday
Jefferson Building (Room LJ 139): 8:30am to 8:00pm, Monday through Thursday, and 8:30am to 4:30pm, Friday and Saturday

Online Pre-Registration

You may pre-register online by completing a simple Web registration form up to two weeks before visiting the Library. To complete the registration process, pre-registered patrons must still report to the Reader Registration Station to present valid identification and receive their card.

Special Instructions for Large Groups

If you plan to bring large groups of new researchers to the Library for registration, please contact the supervisor of the Reader Registration Station in advance at 202-707-5278 to ensure expeditious processing of the group.

Additional Access Requirements for Some Reading Rooms

A valid Reader Identification Card is the minimum requirement for access to the Library's public reading rooms. Some reading rooms have supplemental registration procedures and/or conditions of use. For more information about the requirements in a particular reading room, please contact the reading room(s) you plan to visit.

Requesting Materials from the LC Catalog

Library of Congress registered readers may use the LC Catalog to request materials from the Library's general collections, the Law Library, the the Asian Divison and Music Division collections. The automated call slip service (ACS) offers delivery of materials only to the Library's Main, Science and Business, European, Hispanic, Law, and Performing Arts reading rooms. You must have a valid Reader Identification Card and use your individual patron account number. See the Guide for Requesting Materials in the Library's Catalog for additional information.

Item Not Available at the Library. Why Not?

This legend displays on some LC Catalog records for:

Items cataloged before they are published, through the Cataloging in Publication (CIP) program. Holdings information will be added when the Library receives the actual book.
Items that the Library is in the process of acquiring. Holdings information will be added when the Library receives the actual material.
Titles for which holdings and location information could not be created during migration from legacy systems to the LC Catalog. These records are being evaluated through long-term inventory projects.

In addition, some items that are held by the Library may not be requested online for a variety of reasons. The item may be assigned to a reading room reference collection, it may be in use by another researcher, or access to the item may be restricted.

Please contact Ask a Librarian for additional information. Make sure to include the item's author/creator, title, and/or LCCN of the catalog record in your inquiry.

Library Patron Account Information

Library Patron Account Requirements

To log into the LC Catalog's automated call slip service using your Library Patron Account, you need:

Your last name (case insensitive)
Your account number (which appears on your Reader Identification Card underneath the barcode)
Your password

Passwords must be 5-12 characters long. They may include any combination of letters (upper and lower case) and numbers. Do not use punctuation, spacing, or special characters (such as asterisks, exclamation points, or dollar signs).

Initial Library Patron Account Activation

Once you have a Reader Identification Card, you can receive a temporary Patron Account password either:

In person, by going to Alcove 7 in the Main Reading Room (Thomas Jefferson Building) or the Science and Business Reading Room (John Adams Building)
By email, if you provided the Library with your email address when you registered as a reader. Click Forgot your password? on the Account Info page, then fill in your last name and account number to receive a temporary password by email.

After logging into your Patron Account with this temporary password, you will be prompted to change your password to one of your own choosing.

Changing your Patron Account Password

To change or reset your Patron Account password for security reasons, sign into your account and click Change Password in the Patron Information area at the top of your screen. This link takes you to the Change Your Password form, where you can enter new password information.

Forgot your Patron Account Password?

If you don't remember your Patron Account password and your Patron Account includes your email address, click Forgot your password? on the Account Info page. Fill in your last name and account number, and the Library will email you a temporary password. Use this temporary password to reset your personal password.

If your Patron Account does not include an email address, if you need to add or update your email address, or if you experience other problems with your password or call slip account, please check with Library staff at the Center Circulation Desk in the Main or Science and Business reading rooms. Offsite patrons may contact the Accounts Unit of the Library's Researcher and Reference Services Division at 202-707-5441 or [email protected].

Congressional and Library Staff Login

Congressional and Library staff receive their initial temporary passwords through email. The email text contains the contact information you need if you encounter problems with your password or call slip account.

Additional Patron Account Benefits

Registered readers - as well as Congressional and Library staff with Library of Congress patron accounts - have additional privileges in the Library's webscale discovery service, Primo opens in a new window, and in the HathiTrust Digital Library:

In Primo: you can create a personal account that allows you to save items, searches, and personalization choices across search sessions.
In the HathiTrust Digital Library: you can download full PDFs of public domain works that appear in HathiTrust (note that logging on to HathiTrust does not provide access to page images of "Limited (search only)" items). You can also access HathiTrust's Collection Builder , a tool that helps you create and share your personal collections of HathiTrust items for private or public use. Click here for more information on logging into HathiTrust.