Using the Asian Reading Room at the Library of Congress

Welcome to the Asian Reading Room. This video will show you how to use the Reading Room to access the Library’s Asian language collections, which include nearly 4 million books, journals, microfilms and numerous online resources. 

The Asian Reading Room is located on the first floor of the Jefferson building, one of three Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill. 

To get here, enter the Jefferson building on 1st street.  After passing through security, take the elevator or stairs to the ground floor and look for the cloak room around the corner. Check in your belongings, and take only your research materials with you. 

Next, take the stairs or elevator up to the first floor. Next to the Information Desk you will see a sign that directs registered readers to the Asian Reading Room, room number LJ-150.

Once you arrive at the Reading Room, please sign in and present your valid Reader Identification Card to staff at the reference desk. 

If you do not have a reader identification card, or your card has expired, please make reader registration your first stop at the Library.
After you’ve signed in, we encourage you to speak with a librarian about your research needs. Whether you are a first-time visitor or a seasoned researcher, it always helps to ask a librarian how to make the most of your time at the Library.

You will find that librarians can help you with general questions, such as how to request a book or how to effectively search the catalog. They also offer research assistance on a wide variety of specialized topics related to Asian studies. The reading room houses a multi-language reference collection and offers access to more than 4 million items in 195 languages across 6 collections: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian/Tibetan, South Asian, and Southeast Asian.

Other Reading Room amenities include free wi-fi and scanners. We also have computers available for public use, which provide access to such essential resources as the Library’s online catalog, digital resources, and various subscription databases. 

The reading room is equipped with a multi-functional printer,photocopier and scanner. Printing and photocopying is fee-based and requires a credit or debit card. Scanning, however, is free and sends files directly to you via email. You can also bring a USB storage device to save scanned files.


You are welcome to bring your own laptop or electronic device to assist with your research. Just make sure you turn off all device sounds, as they may be disruptive to other users.  

Many researchers come to the Reading Room to use our rare books. All six collections contain rare items totaling more than 27,000 titles. 
Please be aware that access to rare items is by appointment only, so please use the Ask A Librarian online form to request an appointment before your visit if you wish to use rare materials in the Asian Division’s collections. 

The Asian Reading Room website provides detailed information about our collections. And here is a link to the Ask a Librarian form. (http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/) You can use it for making an appointment for accessing items from the rare book collections, requesting materials, or scheduling a one-on-one research consultation if you need more individualized assistance.

No matter where you are in your research process, the Asian Reading Room’s staff are ready to help you find the materials and information you need. Here are some helpful tips to make better use of your time in the Asian Reading Room.
We hope to see you at the Library soon.