Library of Congress seeks $946.2 million for FY2026 to expand digital collections, preservation and copyright modernization

Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden told a House Appropriations subcommittee that the Library’s fiscal 2026 appropriations request totals $946.2 million and focuses on digital modernization, preservation and service to Congress. "The mission of the Library of Congress is to engage, inspire, and inform the Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. And above all, the library exists to serve," Dr. Hayden said in her opening remarks.

Hayden described three programmatic requests in the FY2026 package: $5.4 million for preservation object storage upgrades, $2.5 million annually for web application delivery and management improvements, and $6.8 million over three years for the U.S. Copyright Office to accelerate the registration component of the…