April 21, 2020 Celebrate the Library’s 220th Birthday with the LOC Collections App

New App Opens the “Treasure Chest” to Mobile Users

Press Contact: Brett Zongker (202) 707-1639
Website: Mobile Apps from the Library of Congress

To celebrate the 220th anniversary of its founding, the Library of Congress today announced the release of the LOC Collections app, the premiere mobile app that puts the national library’s digital collections in the hands of users everywhere.

In addition to providing an easy, accessible way to search and explore the Library’s growing digital collections, LOC Collections allows users to curate personal galleries of items in the Library’s collections for their own reference and for sharing with others. Items currently featured on the app include audio recordings, books, videos, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, notated music, periodicals, photos, prints, and drawings.

“The Library of Congress collection can now fit in your pocket,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The Library started 220 years ago with 740 books and 3 maps. Today, that collection has grown to make us the largest library in the world and a storehouse of our national history. It’s been our goal to throw open our treasure chest and help every American connect to the Library of Congress. The LOC Collections app is a uniquely personal, easy new way to explore the nation’s library.”  

Users can currently find the app for iPhone and iPad at the Library’s website or the iTunes store. An Android version of the app is slated for release later in 2020.

“The LOC Collections app encourages users to explore over a million maps, photographs, films, books, manuscripts, and more in the Library of Congress’s rich collections,” said Michelle Light, director of Special Collections. “Using its intuitive interface and the ability to favorite items, we hope people of all ages will dive in to discover items that surprise, teach, entertain, or satisfy curiosity.”

LOC Collections was imagined and created by the Library’s own design and development experts in the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and is especially designed to give users a more personal experience with Library collections. Usability testing with patrons helped shape the app before its release, with additional functionality and content currently under development.

The Library marks its 220th birthday on Friday, April 24.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

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PR 20-032
2020-04-22
ISSN 0731-3527