Read a record
get_itemFetch a Library of Congress record by its identifier, with options for citations, resources, or full metadata. Use pagination for long descriptions.
Instructions
Read one Library of Congress record by its identifier, as returned by search_items or search_newspapers. An identifier can carry slashes: a single newspaper issue is named by its paper, its date and its edition together. Sections are opt-in: 'basic' is the default and covers what a description needs. 'date' carries only the precision the record's own words support, and 'date_stated' repeats those words, which can be a span of years the record was filed at the opening of. Where the Library has established no date it files the record under a cataloguing code, which 'date_code' carries while 'date' and 'year' stay null. 'citations' returns the ready-made citations the Library publishes for the record. 'resources' lists the served copies, such as page images and downloadable files. 'full_metadata' returns every field the Library publishes for the record, which is large and rarely needed. A long description paginates: when 'next_offset' is not null, call again with 'offset' set to it.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| offset | No | Where to resume the description. | |
| sections | No | Which parts to return. Each one beyond 'basic' adds to the size of the answer. | |
| identifier | Yes | Record identifier, such as '2017645459' or 'sn83045462/1929-02-03/ed-1'. | |
| max_description_chars | No | Characters of the description to return in one call. |
Output Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| item | Yes | ||
| notes | Yes | ||
| offset | Yes | ||
| rights | Yes | What the Library says about reuse. Null when it says nothing, which is not permission. | |
| part_of | Yes | Collections and divisions the record sits in. | |
| language | Yes | ||
| location | Yes | ||
| subjects | Yes | ||
| citations | No | ||
| resources | No | ||
| repository | Yes | Where the original is held. | |
| call_number | Yes | ||
| description | Yes | ||
| next_offset | Yes | Pass as 'offset' to read the rest of the description. Null when it ends here. | |
| full_metadata | No | ||
| notes_on_record | Yes | Notes the Library published about the record itself, less any whose words the description already carries. The Library assembles the description of some records out of these notes, and those records would otherwise return one text under two names. |