A powerful desktop search tool for the Library of Congress digital collections. I wanted a better way to search the Library of Congress - something faster and more visual than the default web interface. This application delivers exactly that.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress has an incredible digital collection, but their default search interface makes it difficult to browse visually and explore large result sets efficiently. I discovered they offer API access (with free API keys available), so I built this desktop application to provide a superior search experience.
Gallery Mode - The star of the show. View hundreds of results in a high-density gallery grid that makes visual browsing fast and satisfying. This is the primary reason this tool exists.
Massive Results Per Page - Increase search results to see many more items at once, dramatically reducing pagination and making it easier to find what you're looking for.
No API Key Required - Works out of the box with public requests. However, getting a free API key from the Library of Congress is recommended for better performance and higher rate limits.
Dual View Modes - Toggle instantly between dense Gallery view for visual scanning and detailed List view for metadata-rich browsing.
Smart Performance - Client-side caching and next-page prefetching make navigation smooth and responsive.
Multiple Themes - Choose from 8 themes: Deep, Forest, Rose, Flag, Purple, Red, Black, and Black+Gold.
Optimized Layout - Adapts beautifully from small screens to ultrawide 5120×1440 displays.
- Gallery-first: See 10x more visual results at once to rapidly scan and discover
- Customizable page size: Load hundreds of results instead of being limited to small pages
- Faster workflow: Local caching + prefetching eliminates loading delays
- Cleaner interface: Everything is optimized for focus and efficiency
- Keyboard-friendly: Navigate and search without reaching for the mouse
- LOC Collections (https://www.loc.gov)
- Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) (https://www.loc.gov/pictures/)
PPOC is image-first by design; for LOC Collections, the gallery view automatically selects records with image previews when Gallery is active.
Option 1: Download the Installer (Easiest)
- Go to Releases
- Download
LOC-Power-Search-1.2.0-Setup.exe - Run the installer
- Launch the application
Note: Windows may show a warning about an "unknown publisher" because the app isn't code-signed. Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.
Option 2: Run from Source
- Install Node.js 18+
- Clone or download this repository
- Open terminal in the project folder
- Run:
npm install - Run:
npm start
- Install Node.js 18+
- Clone or download this repository
- Open terminal in the project folder
- Run:
npm install - Run:
npm start
To build a macOS app package, run: npm run dist
- Install Node.js 18+ (via your package manager)
- Clone or download this repository
- Open terminal in the project folder
- Run:
npm install - Run:
npm start
To build a Linux package, run: npm run dist
- Choose Data Source: LOC Collections or PPOC.
- Enter keywords and optional filters (collection, format, dates, language, sort, page size).
- Run Search.
- Toggle views:
- List View: metadata-focused, two-column cards.
- Gallery View: dense, uniform thumbnails ideal for visual scanning.
- Open Details:
- Click “Details” on a card (or in Gallery, on the tile’s overlay button). Clicking a tile opens the LOC/PPOC page in your browser.
Tips
- Use quotes for exact phrases.
- Combine filters for more precise results.
- For PPOC imagery, try subject keywords plus date ranges.
You don't need an API key - the app works perfectly fine with public requests by default.
However, getting a free API key is recommended for better performance and higher rate limits when doing intensive searching.
How to get a free API key:
- Visit the Library of Congress API page
- Request a free API key (it's quick and easy)
- Once you receive it, paste it in the "API Key" field in the app and click Save
Privacy: Your API key is stored locally on your computer only (localStorage). It's never sent anywhere except directly to the Library of Congress with your search requests.
Click the small circular toggle next to the Save button to cycle themes:
- Deep (default)
- Forest
- Rose
- Flag (subtle photo of the U.S. flag)
- Purple
- Red
- Black (high-contrast)
- Black+Gold
Your selection is saved locally and restored on launch.
Stored locally in your Electron profile (localStorage):
- API key (if you provide one)
- Theme preference
No analytics or tracking are included.
The project uses electron-builder to produce a Windows installer:
- Output: dist/LOC-Power-Search--Setup.exe
- A code-signing certificate is not included; Windows may warn about an unknown publisher.
- Requests throttled or slow: Add an API key or slow down rapid paging.
- “No preview” in some LOC results: Not all LOC items include thumbnails; Gallery filters out non-image items when Gallery is selected.
- Installer warnings: Expected without code signing. You can still run in dev with npm start.
- Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Library of Congress.
- Do not use the official LOC logo/seal in a way that implies endorsement. Use nominative text references only.
MIT