What’s Available at the Library of Congress?

When people think about genealogy research, it’s best to think “local” first. Look in the attic- and your relatives’ attics - and ask questions of the living until they’ve given up all the information they have.

Then work outward, from the center (the known family) to the farthest point available, which with today’s remarkable Internet capabilities is almost unbound.

Find local accounts of wills, deeds, obituaries and whatever is available about the ancestor in his or her home town, and other places he or she has lived. But wait- there’s still a whole lot more.

Many don’t realize what a huge treasure trove of information is available at the U.S. Library of Congress. This library, physically located in Washington, D.C., has one of the world’s largest collections of foreign genealogical and local historical publications in the world, beginning in 1815 with the purchase of Thomas Jefferson’s personal library.

You have the option of traveling to Washington and using the library’s many genealogical reading rooms. Poking through old books, documents and manuscripts could actually be exciting to both professional and amateur genealogists. Just knowing that a past king or president or other notable person has created, or even handled, the piece of documentation upon which you now gaze can be exhilarating. Yet, not all of us can travel to Washington. And because of the ever-increasing progress of Internet search capabilities, we don’t have to go there to view anything and everything that’s available.

The Library of Congress has information broken down into ethnic groups and geological areas: like “England- Genealogy,” and “Americans of German Descent Genealogy.” It has microfilm reels and original documents preserved in protective cases; and if you know your ancestor was in a particular profession, he or she could even be recorded in detail in documents like “Music, Theater and Dance,” (for example) 1900-1935.

There are general biographies published by traditional publishing houses and self-published works created by people who simply wanted to record and catalog what they knew. The key is finding out how to use the system and (or) getting someone at the library to help you find the records you are seeking.

There are tours and research orientations available in person or online; Internet subscription services; hyperlinks to teach “search tips,” and how to use digitized bibliographies and guides. There is so much information available there that there are even books for sale that teach about how to use the Library of Congress.

And remember, the library is interested in acquiring your research as well. Individuals (or families) may donate materials as a gift or offer them for sale. Either way, having genealogical records of your ancestors in the Library of Congress will help future searchers and assure that your lifetime of work doesn’t get lost somewhere down the road.