October 28, 2011 Library Census Maps 1,000 Federal Libraries

Profiles of U.S. federal libraries from around the world are now available online. Presented dynamically with an interactive mapping tool, the Federal Library Directory displays geographic and collections data from more than 1,000 libraries. This publicly available dataset identifies members of the federal library and information center community and offers current information on their locations, collections, services and specialties.

Sponsored by the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC), with research assistance from the Federal Research Division (FRD), this virtual directory provides a comprehensive view of agency library efforts both in the United States and throughout the world. The compiled data includes details on collections, staff size, leadership, circulation and reference services.

“This directory raises awareness of federal libraries and information resource centers and the resources these organizations maintain,” said Blane Dessy, FLICC’s Executive Director. “We are offering this data set to the public so that scholars can use the tool to locate government resources more easily and library researchers can access current data on federal libraries.”

FRD analysts surveyed federal library programs and then supplemented the survey data received with research and outreach to compile additional data from a variety of federal library programs.

"Our collaboration with FLICC on this directory was an opportunity to engage the entire federal library community," said David L. Osborne, chief of the FRD. “With an updated directory and geospatial mapping of the results, patrons and agencies can now optimize their access to resources and target their research to meet any number of mission objectives.”

Those interested in viewing the data via the dynamic mapping tool or those interested in accessing the complete data set may visit www.loc.gov/flicc/FLD/index_FLD.html for more information.

The Federal Library and Information Center Committee fosters excellence in federal library and information services through interagency cooperation, and provides guidance and direction for the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK). Created in 1965 and headquartered at the Library of Congress, FLICC also makes recommendations on federal library and information policies, programs, and procedures to federal agencies and to others concerned with libraries and information centers.

The Federal Research Division provides directed research and analysis on domestic and international subjects to agencies of the U.S. government, the District of Columbia, and authorized federal contractors. As expert users of the vast English and foreign-language collections of the Library of Congress, the division’s area and subject specialists employ the resources of the world’s largest library and other information sources worldwide to produce impartial and comprehensive studies on a cost-recovery basis.