Classes for First-time Users

First-time users are encouraged to seek assistance at the Information Desks on the ground floor of the Jefferson Building and in the lobby on the first floor of the Madison Building. There they will receive an introduction to the facilities and resources of the Library and find brochures describing the Library's reading rooms, collections, and services.

Formal research orientation classes, taught by reference librarians and dealing with many aspects of using the Library, are offered regularly by the Humanities and Social Sciences Division. These classes are offered on the following Mondays during the fall and winter of 2004:

The "Research Orientation to the Library of Congress" course is designed as a basic introduction for researchers using the Library of Congress collections and resources. Each session includes an introduction to the Library's reading rooms and collections; guidelines on how to locate and request materials in a closed-stack library; suggestions on how to conduct research efficiently in the Library of Congress; instruction on how to use Library of Congress Subject Headings and other sources for searching accurately by subject; information on how to find published bibliographies and topical indexes in print and automated formats; information on using the Library's catalogs in card and online forms; procedures for finding citations to journal articles; and an overview of automated resources, including OCLC FirstSearch, other Internet-based subscription services, and CD-ROMs.

Sessions are held in Room G07 of the Jefferson Building. For additional information, or to register for a class, phone the Library's Computer Catalog Center at 202-707-3370.

Some Library of Congress reading rooms offer research orientations specific to their collections and services. For more information about these orientations, including schedules and registration information, please visit the web pages listed below:

Local History and Genealogy Reading Room: Tours and Research Orientations
Prints and Photographs Reading Room: Orientations
Science, Technology, and Business Division: Orientations