Library Of Congress Search
Pricing
from $10.00 / 1,000 results
Library Of Congress Search
Library of Congress Catalog Search
What does Library of Congress Catalog Search do?
This Apify actor searches the Library of Congress digital catalog, the largest library in the world with over 170 million items. It retrieves catalog records including books, photographs, maps, manuscripts, films, sound recordings, and other historical documents. Each record includes the title, contributors, dates, subjects, format type, descriptions, catalog URLs, and image URLs when available.
Why use this library catalog data tool?
The Library of Congress is an unparalleled resource for researchers, historians, educators, genealogists, journalists, and anyone seeking primary source materials. This actor automates searches of the LOC digital catalog, delivering structured data that would otherwise require manual browsing through the library's website. Whether you are researching a historical topic, building a digital humanities project, or collecting metadata about specific collections, this tool provides efficient access to America's largest library.
How to use the Library of Congress Catalog Search
- Enter a Search Query describing what you want to find (e.g., "civil war photographs", "declaration of independence", "jazz recordings")
- Set Max Results to control how many catalog records are returned
- Click Start to run the actor
- Download your catalog data in JSON, CSV, or Excel format
Works with zero configuration, defaulting to a search for "civil war photographs".
Input Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| query | string | Search term for the catalog | civil war photographs |
| maxResults | integer | Maximum results to return | 25 |
Output Data
Each catalog record contains:
- title - Title of the catalog item
- contributors - Authors, photographers, or other contributors
- date - Date or date range of the item
- subjects - Subject headings and topics
- type - Original format type (photograph, book, map, manuscript, etc.)
- description - Descriptive text about the item
- url - Direct URL to the Library of Congress catalog page
- imageUrl - URL to a digital image when available
Cost of Usage
This actor is efficient and makes a single API call to the Library of Congress.
- Per result: $0.01
- Per 1,000 results: $10
- Actor start cost: $0.005
A typical search with 25 results completes in under 10 seconds.
Tips and Advanced Usage
- Use specific search terms for targeted results (e.g., "Abraham Lincoln portraits" instead of just "Lincoln")
- Search for specific formats like "maps of colonial america" or "world war II posters"
- The subjects field contains Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), useful for further research
- Image URLs link directly to digitized items for visual research projects
- Combine multiple searches to build comprehensive datasets on historical topics
- The type field helps filter between different media formats in your results
- Schedule periodic runs to discover newly digitized items on topics of interest
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