Beltway RESOURCE BANK Greater DC-Area Libraries Alexandria Public Libraries Information on collections, branch locations. Alliance Francaise Library Lending library for members. Offers print and audio/visual materials in French. American Institute of Architects Library Circulating library of books on architecture, design, and construction; non-members can purchase annual borrowing privileges. Arlington County Public Libraries Information on collections, branch locations. Arthur D. Jenkins Library of Textile Arts Literature and visual resources in the field of textile studies. While international in scope, the holdings emphasize the traditional cultures of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Open stack policy. Located in the Textile Museum. Assassination Archives and Research Center Acquires, preserves, and provides information on political assassinations. Open by appointment. Biblioteca Catalana Catalan language reading library of the Fundacio Pauli Bellet, located on the second floor of the Kensington Row Bookshop in Kensington, MD. Center for the Book "Established to stimulate public interest in books, reading, and libraries and to encourage the study of books and print culture." Runs affiliated centers in 39 states and Washington, DC. Hosted by the Library of Congress. Collingwood Library and Museum on Americanism Library in Alexandria, VA dedicated to American history and culture with over 6,000 volumes. DAR Library One of the largest geneological libraries in the world, sponsored by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. DC Public Library Connections to collections, great web exhibit on the Harlem Renaissance and DC, and useful general information in the community links section about DC government, media, colleges and universities, museums, neighborhoods, etc. Also information on branch locations. Dumbarton Oaks Libraries Collections on Byzantine art and archeology, Pre-Columbian art, rare book room. Fairfax County Public Libraries Information on collections, branch locations. Also information on the annual literary festival they co-sponsor, Fall for the Book. Family History Center A geneological library run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Kensington. The Folger Shakespeare Library Shakespeare holdings include 79 copies of the First Folio, as well as collections in Early English books, Continental books, special collections from the 16th and 17th centuries, and manuscripts. Also offers seminars for scholars and teachers. The Foundation Center Non-circulating library with information on foundations, corporate giving programs, and government grants in the US and abroad. Provides resources for non-profit organizations and for individuals seeking financial support. Offers classes in fundraising. DC is the location of one of their five sites across the US. German Historical Institute Library Free, public, noncirculating collection. Specializes in materials on German history, and German-American relations. Historical Society of Washington The Kiplinger Research Library collections include books, prints, photographs, publications, maps, manuscripts, memorabilia, and 3D objects that document DC, its families, businesses, and neighborhoods. Non-circulating collection. The Library of Congress An amazing resource. Information on the extensive collections (books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, prints, recordings, etc.), as well as the numerous public programs including readings and films and author talks. Special features of the site include "This Day in History"; web exhibits on such topics as Thomas Jefferson, Russia, and Bob Hope; the American Memory section with connections to original reference materials; and a children's section. Also of special interest is the Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature, begun in 1943; appointments to listen to audio recordings or view videos must be made in advance with the Recorded Sound Reference Center (202-707-7833) or Motion Picture and Television Reading Room (202-707-8572), respectively. Middle East Institute The George Camp Keiser Library houses a comprehensive English language collection on the Middle East. Moorland-Spingarn Research Center One of the best facilities in the world for studying African-American history and culture, housed at Howard University. Montgomery County Public Libraries Information on collections, branch locations. National Archives and Records Administration Information on the collections, how to conduct geneological searches, and on their excellent free series of geneology workshops, author talks, and films. National Gallery of Art Libraries Art research library, curatorial records, gallery archives, photo archives, slide library. National Geographic Society Library Collections devoted to geography and world travel. National Library of Medicine The largest medical library in the world, housed in Rockville, MD. Established in 1836, it actually pre-dates the National Institutes of Health, of which it is now a part. National Trust for Historic Preservation Library A resource center for the study of historic preservation, housed at the University of Maryland Libraries. Organization of American States Columbus Memorial Library Printed works related to Latin America and the Caribbean, with additional titles about Spain, Portugal, France, and the US, grouped by subjects such as law, political science, art, technology, economics, rural and urban development, music, education, human rights, history, and geography. Polish Library in Washington Circulating library serving the Polish community as well as others interested in Polish literature, culture, history, and present-day Poland. Books, periodicals, videos. Membership fee charged for use. Prince George's County Public Libraries Information on collections, branch locations. Provisions Library A resource center for activism and the arts, dedicated to creating a "safe space for the exploration and expression of often forbidden and suppressed ideas..." Open by appointment. Scottish Rite Temple Library and Archives The first public free library in DC was run by Freemasons, and still stands at 16th and S Streets NW. The non-circulating collection houses works on freemasonry, of course, but also has the largest collection on Scottish poet Robert Burns outside of Edinburgh, various Americana holdings such as William Penn's 1665 prayer book, and rooms memorializing Burl Ives and J. Edgar Hoover. Plus the building is cool: modelled after the mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, it was designed by John Russell Pope, and completed in 1915, with 900 pound leather-encased doors and 105-foot high ceilings on the first floor. Smithsonian Institution Libraries 17 branches that reflect the focus of the various museums: natural history, American ethnography and culture, American history, science and technology, etc. The Society of the Cincinnati Library Collection on the people and events of the American Revolution, open to researchers by appointment. The Society of Women Geographers Library and Archives Small non-circulating collection in a Capitol Hill rowhouse contains books on geography, adventure, travel, tourism and world culture, written by women. Open by appointment. TransAfrica Forum The Arthur Ashe Foreign Policy Library has a non-circulating collection on US-African and US-Caribbean political policy, history, and culture. Housed in a Dupont Circle mansion. University Libraries For information about the collections at area colleges and universities, click on each school, and follow the links to find each library. Many have special collections, exhibits, and other events open to the public. U.S. Geological Survey Library The largest earth science library in the world, with collections in the areas of geology, hydrology, cartography, and biology, has four locations: Denver, Flagstaff, Menlo Park, CA, and Reston,VA. U.S. Holocaust Research Institute One of the world's largest reference collections on the Holocaust, this collection encompasses photography, film, and oral histories in addition to printed matter. Housed at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. U.S. Naval Observatory Library Astronomical resources, historic photo collection, artwork and historic objects.   Last updated: 12/28/11