If the engineer hits the brakes at 55 mph, the train may travel another mile and a half before coming to a stop." quot;Stop, Look & Listen!" – Be safe at railroad grade crossings!!! – "a train versus a vehicle is like a car versus a soda can!"

On May 15, 1998, following a competitive procurement process, the Library of Congress awarded a contract to Endeavor Information Systems of Des Plaines, IL, for its Voyager integrated library system (ILS) software (for further information, see the press release). The Library began using the Voyager software for its ILS on August 16, 1999 for its cataloging operations and has added additional modules since.

The Library of Congress Online Catalog is available using the World Wide Web at http://catalog.loc.gov/

The Library's collection of serial publication, numbering over 200,000 titles, covers a span of three centuries. Presently, holdings information is recorded in manual card files. Adding holdings to the Online Catalog's records for each title is a massive undertaking. Beginning October 1, 1999, Library staff will be checking in new serial issues as they are received, starting with a few titles and then gradually adding more until all current receipts are checked in.

The Library of Congress completes bibliographic cataloging for materials that are collected by LC which provides for the identification, description, and access to items in the collections. (Works deposited for copyright registration are also cataloged following copyright cataloging procedures.) All types of materials in the Library of Congress' collections are cataloged, covering hundreds of different languages and virtually every format.

LC's Cataloging Distribution Service publishes the Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (LCRI). LCRI is formulated by the Cataloging Policy and Support Office and edited by Robert M. Hiatt.

In addition to being "year-2000" compliant, the new Library of Congress Online Catalog replaces many of the Library's older, separate automated systems -- some of which date back to the late 1960s and early 1970s -- with a single, client/server system that supports all standard library operations, including acquisitions, cataloging, inventory and serials control, circulation, and the online public catalog.

Four search methods are available: Subject-Name-Title-Call#, Guided Keyword, Command Keyword and Keyword. After selecting a search method, enter search words or phrases in the box provided on the screen, then select the [Search] button to conduct the search. Clear the search text from the box at any time by selecting the [Reset] button. For quick search hints, select the Search Examples link from any search method screen.

The Library of Congress has inventories and catalogs of foreign archives and libraries to help you identify resources and their locations. You may consult user guides written by these institutions at the Library. Based on first hand knowledge, the reference specialist may also advise you on foreign research such as research services and facilities, requirements for use and professional colleagues to contact.

Classification Web, a new Web-based subscription service from the Cataloging Distribution Service, includes both the Library of Congress Subject Headings and the LC Classification. See http://classweb.loc.gov/.

The Library's three main buildings--the Thomas Jefferson Building, James Madison Building, and John Adams Building--are located on the 100 and 200 blocks of Independence Avenue SE in Washington D.C. A map of the Library of Congress buildings is available on the Library's website. The Capitol South Metro station (First and C Streets, S.E.) on the blue and orange subway lines is across the street from the Madison Building.

The Library of Congress was established by a mandate of Congress that stipulated that the institution preserve and maintain its collection only. To find a conservator to treat damaged books and other valuable materials, consult the free referral service of The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation (FAIC): Professional book appraisers and most book sellers will appraise and evaluate book materials.

The Library is prohibited by law from working on privately owned collections and does not have the equipment necessary to perform such procedures. There are commercial deacidification vendors available, who are quite willing to handle private collections and small quantities of books as needed by the general public.

Yes, but such service is limited to agencies of the United States Government and the District of Columbia. Federal contractors, with proper authorization, also can use this service under Federal Acquisition Regulation 51.1. Others can obtain fee-based research and analysis from the Library of Congress via the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). Contact the Federal Research Division for details.

There is no formal link between the Library of Congress and the Washington Map Society, but there has always been a close informal relationship between the Society and the Library's Geography and Map Division. This is a great benefit because the Division is the largest and finest map library in the world. Division employees were instrumental in the formation of our Society.

No. Of the millions of books, photographs, prints, drawings, manuscripts, rare books, maps, sound recordings, and moving pictures held by the Library, only a small fraction are in digital form. The work on the American Memory Historical Collections will focus on digitizing the Library's unique American history holdings.

Copies of works deposited for copyright registration or in fulfillment of the mandatory deposit requirement are available to the Library of Congress for its collections. The Library reserves the right to select or reject any published work for its permanent collections based on the research needs of Congress, the nation's scholars, and of the nation's libraries. If you would like further information on the Library's selection policies, you may contact: Library of Congress,

Yes! You should consider doing this, especially if you are planning to publish your work in the US. WorldWideOCR recommends that copyright holders and intellectual property owners acquire as much protection as they can afford. a matter of fact, many of our members are choosing to protect their copyrights with a SEAL™ file date stamp before they file with their National Copyright Office.