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Jeannette Rankin Library Program

Library Services

How to Contact Us & Hours of Operation

The Library is open to the public Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Please call our Information Services Librarian, Jim Cornelius, at (202) 429-3851 to set up an appointment to use library resources on site or to ask reference questions. You may also send information requests via fax to (202) 429-6063; via e-mail to library@usip.org or use the Contact Us e-mail form; or mail letters to us at:

Jeannette Rankin Library Program
United States Institute of Peace
1200 17th Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20036-3011

To send comments, questions, URL submissions or to notify us of any problems accessing the library's web pages, please e-mail us at library@usip.org or use the Contact Us e-mail form.


Library Staff

Information Services
Jim Cornelius
(202) 429-3851
jcornelius@usip.org

Circulation and Interlibrary Loan
Kiran Sharma
(202) 429-3852
ksharma @usip.org

Library Computer Systems
Ellen H. Ensel
(202) 429-3895
eensel@usip.org

Library Program Director
Margarita S. Studemeister served as director 1994-2003


Library Collections & Services

Collections

The core collection encompasses more than 11,000 books and other monographs, journals and magazines, newspapers, audiovisual and microform materials, CD-ROMs and electronic files, and access to Internet resources and commercial databases.

The primary subjects of the collections are:
  • conflict prevention, management and resolution
  • diplomacy, negotiation and mediation
Other basic materials include related topics such as:
  • peacekeeping and peacebuilding
  • rule of law, international law and international security regimes
  • war, violence, regional conflict, low-intensity conflict and security
  • human rights, humanitarian affairs, and ethnic conflicts
  • religion and ethics
  • United Nations, interstate organizations and transnationalism
  • political systems, international relations and economic development
  • arms control, disarmament and deterrence.

The Reference Collection contains more than 1,400 basic and specialized reference volumes including general encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, guides, handbooks, indexes, almanacs and bibliographies in print and CD-ROM formats. Reference materials do not circulate. On-site use only.

The Periodical Collection includes subscriptions to approximately 160 journal and magazine titles and several newspapers in print and electronic formats. Journal and magazine holdings go back to 1989. Generally, newsprint issues are kept for up to two months. Access to the electronic news archives is via the in-house computer network. On-site use only.

The Circulating Book Collection encompasses more than 6,500 volumes. Books may be used on-site by visitors or borrowed for three weeks by patrons using interlibrary loan through their host libraries.

The Grey Materials Collection holds research papers, reports and other ephemeral materials primarily received through complimentary subscriptions. They may be used on-site by visitors or borrowed for three weeks by patrons using interlibrary loan through their host libraries.

The Microform Collection presently consists of the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports for all regions of the world from 1989 through 1996. The library provides on-site access to the electronic version available since 1996 on the Internet and some back years on CD-ROM. Microform reading and reproduction equipment are available for on-site use only.

The Audiovisual Collection contains video cassettes on topics relevant to the mission of the library. Viewing equipment is available for on-site use to library users.

The CD-ROM Collection includes The New York Times and The Washington Post complete coverage from 1989 to 1999 and an index to FBIS publications 1997-1994 for on-site use only.

The Peace Agreements Digital Collection contains the full text of peace agreements related to worldwide inter- and intrastate conflicts since 1989 for 40 regions or countries.

The Truth Commissions Digital Collection, contains background information and descriptions of the establishment, mandate, composition and reports of truth commissions in 24 countries and selected commissions of inquiry and related bodies in 12 countries. The full-text charters establishing six commissions have been added, with plans to add more supporting documents and reports.


Interlibrary Loan and Reference Services

Library Use and Interlibrary Loan

Visitors may use all library materials on site by appointment; they may also borrow circulating books and grey materials using interlibrary loan through their host libraries. Please contact our Library Technician, Kiran Sharma at (202) 429-3852 for any Interlibrary Loan requests.

Reference and Referrals

We are a highly specialized library with in-depth resources in a narrow subject area. We will be happy to assist members of the public with reference queries, but we may refer you to other libraries or information sources if we deem it appropriate. Please call our Information Services Librarian Jim Cornelius at (202) 429-3851 to make an appointment or ask a question. You may also fax your question to (202) 429-6063, send it via e-mail to library@usip.org or use the Contact Us e-mail form; or mail it to us at:

Jeannette Rankin Library Program
United States Institute of Peace
1200 17th Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20036-3011


Library Presentations

Jim Cornelius, Information Services Librarian, presented his latest lectures on Internet resources as part of the Education Program's week-long institute on August 3, 2001 for the Summer Institute for Secondary School Teachers on International Peace, Security and Conflict Management. Assisted by Ellen Ensel linking to web sites in real time, Jim touched on the evaluation of web sites, noted the use of the Internet in the classroom and identified useful resources complementing the topics discussed in the seminar. Participants received a handout of all the web pages shown in each presentation.

Ellen Ensel, Computer Systems Librarian, addressed the 9th Annual Federal Depository Library Conference October 25, 2000 on the topic of Products and Services from the United States Institute of Peace Supporting International Conflict Resolution. The Conference was hosted by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).

Updated: January 14 2004

 


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