Library of Congress Opens Main Reading Room to Researchers
Age 16 and Older


Library of Congress Opens Main Reading Room to Researchers Age 16 and Older The Library of Congress today announced that the minimum age for use of the Main Reading Room to access the Library's physical collections for research purposes has been lowered to 16. The previous requirement was that researchers be above high school age. "The Library of Congress is always looking for ways to create new lifelong learners, to expand access to knowledge and to spark the creativity of future generations," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "We want people of all ages to be aware of the almost limitless resources that are available in libraries, including their de facto national library, especially at a time when the amount of information online still represents only a tiny fraction of the sum total of human knowledge." According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, there are more than 8 million 16- and 17-year-olds living in the United States.


http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2008/08-069.html