What is the Library of Congress? – Teaching

What is the Library of Congress?

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Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, recently dismissed the renewed focus on the Library of Congress, but what exactly is the Library of Congress and why is it important?

The Director of the Library of Congress led the institution and was appointed for 10 years. Hayden held the position until May 2025, when he was a prominent figure in LOC history. She was the first woman to lead the agency and the first African-American to lead the agency, and her tenure focused on:

• Expand digital access collection.
• Increase public outreach and education.
• Promote equity and inclusion in library services.

The Trump administration’s sudden removal has attracted attention from educators, librarians and citizen advocates on the independence of institutions such as the Library of Congress.

You can read their full statement here.

What does the Library of Congress do?

Although the headlines focus on the political implications of her dismissal (worthy of scrutiny of the news and news media), this moment provides an opportunity to better understand one of the most important public institutions in the United States, which plays a quiet and important role in education.

See What is a KWL chart?

The Library of Congress is the research department of the U.S. Congress and preserves the cultural and intellectual heritage of America through its extensive resources of books, manuscripts, maps, music, films, and digital. It also provides public access to historical files, supports copyright registration, and provides educational tools for teachers, students and researchers.

It is the largest library in the world, home to over 170 million items, including books, manuscripts, photos, maps, audio recordings and movies. It plays multiple roles:

• Research Units in the U.S. Congress: Its main task is to provide research and analysis to members of Congress and their staff.
• Protectors of national memory: It contains historically important documents, including A rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and Gutenberg Bible.
• Public education resources: Most of its collections are available online, with free access to rare materials, major resources and lesson plans for teachers and students.
• Cultural Institutions: It hosts exhibitions, concerts and events, and supports copyright registration and protection.

Examples provided by the Library of Congress

• Chronicles United States: A searchable database of American history newspapers for student research and media literacy courses.
• National Jukebox: A collection of early 20th century sound recordings that can be used for public listening.
• Veterans History Project: First-person account from American War veterans, designed for public and educational purposes.
• The main source set of teachers: Planning documents related to course topics, including civil rights, immigration and westward expansion.

Library of Congress Teaching Resources

• loc.gov: Official website, search for digital collections.
• Teachers’ Library of Congress: Classroom resources, main source sets and professional development tools.
• Copyright: Managed by the Copyright Office, which is part of the LOC.
• Analyze the main resources Graphic organizer – a downloadable tool that can guide students to observe, reflect and question the main sources through formats (photos, maps, recordings, etc.).
• Rosa Parks’ papers – A digital archive of Rosa Parks’ personal works, letters and notes provides a real view of her life and activism.
• Experience the War – Veterans History Project – First-person narrative of American veterans organized by the subject, which can be used to teach military history and civic engagement.
• Dust Bowl’s Voice – In the early 1940s, recordings and photographs documented the life of the California Immigration Work Camp.
• Civil War Map Collection – Historical map of troops movements, battlefields and terrain that can be used to visualize civil war geography and strategy.
• Record America – 1789 – 1963, a searchable collection of American historic newspapers, ideal for major source analysis and student-led survey projects.
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