Researching genealogy at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress, now over 200
years old, is recognized as the largest library in the United States and
has claims to being the largest library in the world. Its collections
are described as follows:

In 1992, the Library acquired its 100 millionth item. The collections now include
approximately fifteen million books, thirty-nine million manuscripts,
thirteen million photographs, four million maps, more than
three-and-a-half million pieces of music, and more than half a million
motion pictures. The Library's collection of more than 5,600 incunabula
(books printed before 1500) is the largest in the Western Hemisphere and
its collections of maps, atlases, newspapers, music, motion pictures,
photographs, and microforms
are probably the largest in the world. In addition, the Library holds
newspapers, prints, posters, drawings, talking books, technical reports,
videotapes and disks, computer programs, and other audio, visual, and
print materials.
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