The Information Resource Center

The Information Resource Center (IRC), located in the U.S. Embassy, serves the U.S. mission to Tunisia by providing Tunisians with timely, accurate information on American politics, news and opinions, government, society, history, and culture, and on U.S. policies affecting the bilateral relationship. The IRC is staffed with three trained IRC information specialists who rely on a non-circulating reference collection of over 3000 books, 40 print periodicals , 600 videos – including feature films -- and 100 CD-ROM databases The IRC relies on a wide variety of on-line databases via the Internet, including full-text periodical databases such as Factiva, Infotrac, Lexis-Nexis, FirstSearch and Proquest. . Through these databases the IRC has up-to-the-minute access to the full text of over 10,000 magazines, newspapers, wireservices, and other information sources.

The IRC provides five workstations to our patrons for on-line research. In addition to Internet resources, we offer access to commercial databases. Whether you are interested in an article about U.S. politics, wish to consult a bibliography of American Literature, or plan a trip to the United States, we stand ready to assist you in your search.

The IRC is open to the public Monday to Friday, except on U.S and Tunisian official holidays (link to official holidays list). Queries are accepted by telephone, e-mail , or in person during working hours .

Additional resources:

Reference Collection: The IRC hosts a non-circulating reference collection, which includes materials on U.S. institutions, American foreign policy, civil society, history, the arts, and media.

U.S. Government Documents: The IRC has access to an extensive range of U.S. government documents and publications , both in print and electronic formats.

Exhibits and displays: A selection of paper shows focused on U.S. themes are available for loan to institutions. The IRC would be happy to support your program. Please check with the IRC for a complete list of paper shows.

Video Cassettes and Recordings: The IRC has a large collection of videotape documentary films and feature films related to the United States. IRC users can view them on the premises. Group showings in the Embassy multipurpose room or elsewhere can be arranged. In addition, educators can borrow videotapes for classroom use. Please note that, due to copyright restrictions, the IRC is not able to copy videotapes.

CD-ROM collection: In addition to print sources, the IRC has over one hundred full-text databases on CD-ROM with a wealth of information on the United States. These CD-ROM Databases include "The American Presidency," "Landmark Documents in American History," "Discovering Multicultural America," "The American Indians," "The History of American Literature," and "The War in Vietnam" to name a few.

Information USA: This CD-ROM is produced by the Department of State and presents an overview of the political system, economy, history, and geography of the United States with links to information that answer frequently asked questions about the U.S. Free copies of InfoUSA  are available in the IRC on request. An online version is available on the Internet at http://www.usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa.

Services:

Reference Services: Our information specialists are available to assist with the use of IRC resources. For example, they can help you locate materials for academic research, guide you in online searching, or provide access to databases about the United States. They accept queries in person, by phone, fax, or e-mail .

Outreach Service: The IRC has a variety of ways of delivering information about the United State to our clients. This includes the creation of specialized information packages in response to institutional queries and to support special programs. Please contact an IRC reference specialist to help determine what service is right for your needs.

Two of our services include our Table of Contents (TOC) Service and our Selective Dissemination of Information Service (SDI). TOC is available via e-mail to researchers, journalists, and Tunisian government officials. Every month TOC subscribers receive copies of table of contents of selected periodicals. They may then request free of charge the full text of up to five articles listed in the table of contents. SDI automatically provides patrons with current U.S. information (articles, reports, and books) in their chosen field of interest. No fees are charged, and no requests are necessary once we are aware of your specific interests. Please contact the IRC  if you are interested in either of these services.

Book Presentations: The IRC regularly donates copies of American books translated into French and Arabic by the State Department Book Translation Program. This program is designed to give non-English readers access to the best in current American ideas and culture.

Working Hours:

Winter: 10:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Summer: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Ramadan: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.