|| Before You Ask ||
Services We Provide
- Basic research assistance related to the humanities and social sciences
- Answers to queries requiring resources unique to the Library of Congress
- Response within 5 business days
Services We Cannot Provide
- Answers for contests, puzzles, or games
- Answers for student assignments
- Detailed bibliographies
- Prices for old books
- Translations
We suggest that you
- Consult your local library first
- Read our reference correspondence policy
Visit our Web pages: Main Reading Room and the Microform Reading Room or read Frequently Asked Questions.
Ask a Librarian Online
For reference questions, proceed to the online form and get answers via email.

Contact us by Fax
(202) 707-1957

Written Correspondence *
Humanities and Social Sciences Division
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave. SE
Washington, D.C. 20540-4660
* Please note: information on mail delays
|| Additional Humanities/Social Sciences and Microform Resources ||
Try consulting these online resources
- Library of Congress Online Catalog to search for books, serials, computer files, manuscripts, cartographic materials, music, sound recordings, and visual materials.
- American Memory for digitized resources from the Library's and complementary collections about American history and creativity.
- Research and Reference Services for an introduction to doing research
- Alcove 9 for online reference sources in the humanities and social sciences
- Jefferson's Legacy for a brief history of the Library
- Frequently Asked Questions about the Library