New and Improved

The Library of Congress is constantly in the process of improving its products and services to better assist its patrons, friends and researchers. Recently we launched a series of updates to the website, enabling users to find and use our online materials more easily.

The Library's main web search function has been improved. A new feature allows users to narrow their search results by language and location. In addition, the homepage and search-results pages have updated search boxes that allow users to refine their search by format, such as books, photos and maps.

Detail from a map of New York, 1776 / Geography and Maps Division

Speaking of maps, the Library has implemented a new "object" page – initially limited to some 9,500 maps from the Geography and Maps Division – that present material in a cleaner, simpler layout. An improved zoom feature lets you better examine the finer details of the map images, including a "full screen" view. And, you can take your map "on the go," as it were, thanks to better mobile-device functionality and the now-Library-standard features such as social-media sharing.

Most of these maps are in the new template.

Additional collections will be changed to the new template over the next several months.

Other improvements include better use of metadata and expanded links to related material.

You can access the new features at www.loc.gov/search or use the search box found of most web pages in the upper right-hand corner.