Library of Congress

Definition

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. It serves as the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and is home to the U.S. Copyright Office.

Analogy

Think of the Library of Congress as a gigantic hard drive that stores not just files (books), but also apps (research tools), photos (photographs), music (recordings), and even system backups (manuscripts).

Related terms

Copyright Office: This is a part of the Library of Congress that registers copyrights in the United States for original works of authorship.

Congressional Research Service: This is a division within the Library that provides policy and legal analysis to committees and members of both houses of Congress.

Thomas Jefferson Building: This is one part or 'branch' if you will, like an external hard drive connected to your computer - it's one building among several that make up the entire Library complex.