• Where is the Library located? How can I visit?
• Who does the NOAA Library serve?
• How can I become a library patron?
• What type of materials does the Library hold?
• How do I check out materials?
• Can I access the Library's electronic materials from my desk?
• Can I access the Library resources from a non-NOAA computer?
• You don't seem to have a book that I need. How can I request materials?
• I need to find a resource / do a literature search / find a data set / cite a document. Help!
• How do I submit a new NOAA publication to the library?

 

Where is the Library located? How can I visit?

The NOAA Library is located at the NOAA Silver Spring Metro Center Campus in Silver Spring, MD. We are open to NOAA employees and affiliates, Monday thru Friday, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM (Federal holidays excluded). Visiting scholars and researchers may also schedule an appointment to visit by contacting our library reference staff.

Please see our Visiting the Library section for more information about arranging a visit.

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Who does the NOAA Library serve?

The NOAA Library serves all NOAA employees and affiliates located on the Silver Spring Metro Campus and in the Suitland Federal Center, as well as those located in the Hoover Building in downtown Washington, DC. We also serve NOAA employees and affiliates who work across the country that are not served by another library. 

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How can I become a library patron?

NOAA employees and affiliates are automatically registered as library patrons. Whenever possible, we try to provide access to our collection to scholars and researchers who are not officially affiliated with NOAA. If you are not a NOAA employee or contractor, and would like to visit us, please contact the reference/information desk via e-mail ([email protected]) to arrange a visit.

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What type of materials does the Library hold?

The NOAA Library holds materials in a wide variety of formats on a large number of subjects related to NOAA research, including environmental science, ecology, fisheries, geosciences, marine and freshwater biology, meteorological and atmospheric sciences, oceanography and limnology, and more. Listed below are some of the types of materials available through the library:

• Journals: We currently subscribe to over 9,000 peer-reviewed electronic journals. For a list of our electronic journals, please visit our catalog. Our backfile print journals can also be discovered through our catalog.
• Electronic Databases: We provide access to a number of databases that index journals in a wide range of subject areas. To see which databases we have, and to access them directly from your desktop, you can view our A-Z list.
• NOAA Resources and Print materials: The NOAA Library is the official repository of all NOAA publications and is the best place to find NOAA's historical print materials. All of these materials are findable through the library catalog. 
• Images: We formerly hosted the NOAA Photo Library with over 80,000 images taken by NOAA staff. These images are now findable via the NOAA Digital Library. The majority of these images are in the public domain, so feel free to use them in your publications, websites, or personal projects.

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How do I check out materials?

You may check out certain items from the library if you are a NOAA employee or affiliate working in the Silver Spring, MD area. To check out an item, you can either request item pickup online via our catalog or simply bring it to the reference desk and ask to check it out.

The standard borrowing period for items is one month. To request an extension to this period, or to renew an item, contact the reference team. Rare books, reference materials, and other special items may not be checked out, but are available for use in the library.

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Can I access the Library's electronic materials from my desk?

Yes. We have five types of electronic materials available: databases, digital collections, electronic journals, ebooks, and digitized files of NOAA publications. Access can be achieved either through IP authentication or Single Sign On (SSO). If you are a NOAA employee or affiliate and cannot connect to an e-journal or database from your NOAA computer, please fill out the library's Report an Access Issue Google Form and we will respond to you as soon as possible.

If you have any other questions about using any of these resources, please contact us.

• Databases: All of the databases provided by the library are accessible from the A-Z list page. You can also see these databases arranged by subject using the filter. Click on any of the database titles in these lists to access them directly. Access to some of these databases may be restricted, so please see the icon legend.
• Digital Collections: The library is in the process of digitizing portions of its historical collections in order to make them more easily accessible to our patrons and to the general public. Materials that have been digitized from our heritage collections for the Coast & Geodetic Survey, Fisheries and Weather Service can be accessed through our Collections page. These materials are freely available to everyone.
• Electronic Journals: The library provides access to our electronic journals through our catalog. 
• NOAA Publications: All of the NOAA publications included in the library’s collection are findable through the NOAA Institutional Repository and library catalog.

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You don't seem to have a book that I need. How can I request materials?

If the library does not have the resource or publication you need, you can request that we get it for you through our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service. To place a request, please see our Interlibrary Loan webpage or email [email protected]. In your email, please include as much information about the item as possible to assist us in locating the correct item.

If we are not able to locate an item through ILL, or you would like the library to consider adding an item or journal subscription to our permanent collection, you may email your request to [email protected] for evaluation.

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How do I submit a new NOAA publication to the library? Why should I submit my publication?

Per the NOAA PARR Plan, the library manages the NOAA Institutional Repository all technical reports, technical memos, and other documents that have been generated by NOAA staff and makes them available to all of NOAA and the general public through the NOAA Institutional Repository 

• To submit your publication to the library, please email the URL of the publication, or if the publication is not posted online send the file as an attachment, to the Institutional Repository. 

If you have any questions about submitting your publications, please contact us.

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Can I access Library resources from a non-NOAA computer?

Your ability to access the library’s electronic collections from a non-NOAA computer depends both on the type of resource needed and on the vendor that provides that resource.

• NOAA Publications: The library’s electronic collections of NOAA publications and videos are freely accessible to anyone. You can access them from anywhere via the NOAA Institutional Repository and library catalog.
• Databases: Field access to online databases depends on the database vendor and access option. Our A-Z list icon legend will indicate whether you need to be on the NOAA Network (IP authentication or VPN) or can sign in using Single Sign On (SSO). 
  • For legal databases such as Lexis  and Westlaw that require a user ID and password to access, you may use your user ID and password to access the database from anywhere. Contact the Department of Commerce Research Library to obtain a user ID and password to these databases.
• Electronic Journals: Field access to electronic journals depends on the access options. Our catalog will indicate whether you need to be on the NOAA Network (IP authentication or VPN) or can sign in using Single Sign On (SSO). 

If you cannot access our electronic collections from your NOAA office computer, please fill out the library's Report an Access Issue Google Form and we will respond to you as soon as possible.

If you have any other questions about accessing electronic collections from the field, please contact us.

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I need to find a resource / do a literature search / find a data set / cite a document.

We at the library are here to provide you research services. We encourage you to ask us any questions you may have about the library, using library resources, literature searching, finding data sets, citation analysis, and more.

If you would rather talk to a librarian, we encourage you to schedule a time to talk by emailing [email protected] or visiting our virtual NOAA IR, Publishing, ORCID, & Section 508 "Office Hours" every Tuesday from 2-3:30 PM ET: 

Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/yta-ijoj-knx
Or dial: ‪(US) 1 646-883-9716‬ PIN: ‪832 333 185‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/yta-ijoj-knx?pin=6059580097979

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