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Lister Hill Center Auditorium Guide

General Information for the Lister Hill Center Auditorium

National Library of Medicine
8600 Rockville Pike, NIH Building 38A
Bethesda, MD 20894

Important Numbers

  • Auditorium reservations and meeting coordination: 301-496-5389 and office fax is 301-598-0841. The conference manager works in NLM’s Conference Management section, under the Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL). Nicole Hollis, OCPL is back-up for auditorium reservations.
  • Registration desk phone, outside auditorium, Lister Hill lobby (for use by groups meeting in the auditorium): 301-496-4062. Messages cannot be left on this phone. You will need to staff this registration desk.
  • On-site fax number: 301-496-7831. (Machine located in the Visitor Center office, Room 128 of Lister Hill Center, just off the Lister Hill lobby, through door marked "NLM VISITOR CENTER.")

Priorities for Assignment of LHC Auditorium Space

  • Priority 1 : NLM and NIH sponsored meetings – national and international scientific meetings may reserve the auditorium up to 1 year in advance.
  • Priority 2 : Meetings of other HHS health agencies that support the NIH mission – may reserve the space up to 6 months in advance.
  • Priority 3 : Other health-related organizations that support the NIH mission (e.g., professional societies) – may reserve the space up to 3 months in advance.
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Prior to Your Meeting at Lister Hill

  1. We are not a conference center like the NIH Natcher conference facilities. If you haven’t used the LHC Auditorium before, it’s a good idea to meet with the conference manager prior to your event, to tour the facility and discuss logistics, audiovisual requirements, etc. One month prior to your meeting, the conference manager will be contacting you for final requirements.

  2. The LHC Auditorium extends into the right half of the lobby for registration and coffee breaks. If you plan a poster session or have a requirement that will require the entire lobby, you must request this in writing at the time you make your reservation.

  3. Please schedule coffee breaks after 9:30 a.m. and after 2:30 p.m. The Lister Hill cafeteria, on the B-1 level (one floor down from the auditorium) opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 3:30 p.m. If possible, please schedule your lunch break (if you're planning to have attendees eat in our cafeteria) after 12:30 p.m., when most Library staff members have already had their lunch. This reduces traffic. Hot food service ends at 1:30 p.m. each day. Notify the cafeteria manager of the time of breaks and the number of attendees.

  4. As soon as possible, notify the conference manager of the audiovisual (A/V) requirements for your meeting. A/V requests that we can support (with advance notice) include:

    • Showing 35mm slides (single or side-by-side projection)
    • Projecting overhead transparencies
    • Using our projector with your laptop computer, to do a PowerPoint demonstration or to connect with the Internet
    • Showing ½" (VHS) videotapes in the NTSC, PAL, or SECAM formats
    • Recording the proceedings on audiocassettes (You will have to provide 90 minutes cassette tapes)
    • Setting up a front stage table, with microphones, for a panel (maximum of 8 persons)
    • Your speakers can use our computer for their presentations. All speakers (using or not using audio visuals) should be directed to the podium for a brief orientation by our technicians. All thumb drives must be scanned for viruses before their presentation can be loaded on our auditorium computer. Speakers can use their laptop (PC or MAC). If possible, it is advisable for the meeting sponsor to pre-load all presentations on one thumb drive or CD, saving time for the individuals doing virus checks.
    • The services of full-time A/V technician(s) throughout your meeting
    • There are no breakout rooms available
    • We do not supply MAC laptops. You will need to contact NIH Events Management (ORS) to request a MAC or additional computers.

*Please note that teleconferencing, video recording and Webcasting are not part of our service. You are responsible for arrangements. In order to set up your own Video Cast, you need to contact CIT for streaming services and ORS for camera work and room support.

CIT - Contact CIT Video Services (301-594-8433) or http://videocast.nih.gov/ContactUs for streaming and Podcast services. Please try to contact us at least two weeks in advance of the Video Cast.

ORS - Contact NIH Events Management (301-496-4700) for an estimate and work order number so they can provide room support and send CIT live video and captioning for the Video Cast.

This information can be found at: http://videocast.nih.gov/faq/

  1. Please send a copy of your agenda (draft version is acceptable) to the Conference Manager, nlmaud@nlm.nih.gov, at least 2 weeks prior to your meeting. Providing margin notes about each speaker’s audiovisual requirements is very helpful and makes the meeting run more smoothly.

  2. If you like, arrange a time the workday before the meeting to set up registration, move furniture, etc. (This won’t be possible if there’s a meeting in the auditorium the day before your meeting).

  3. Doors to the Lister Hill building open at 7:00 a.m. If you or your caterers want to be admitted earlier, you will need to alert the conference manager the week prior to your meeting.

  4. Auditorium doors open at 7:30 a.m. or one hour before the meeting start time -- whichever is earlier.

  5. The Lister Hill building closes at 6:00 p.m.
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Meeting Sponsor’s Responsibilities

  1. Complete the Form NIH 827-2, Request for Use of Lister Hill Auditorium. This form must be completed in detail, with particular attention to the box, "Purpose of Activity." The Sponsor must sign the form and include their title and organization. Be sure to date the form. The Director, NLM approves all non-NLM or non-NIH sponsored meetings as well as all meetings that are longer than one day. Additional information for “Purpose of Activity” could be past agendas; Website; objective; targeted audience, etc. All meetings that are non-NIH sponsored must complete the following questions that are found on the Attachment to form NIH 827-2:

    • Have you had this meeting or another one at Lister Hill Auditorium prior to this upcoming meeting? If so, when? What was/were the name(s) of the meeting(s)?
    • How many attendees do you expect from outside of NIH?
    • Please give more details about the purpose of the meeting. Is it to present papers? Who benefits? Will proceedings be published? Can you supply a brief overview of the meeting? Do the proceedings relate to NIH's mission?
    • Do you have a draft agenda, even if it is from a previous year? If so, please attach.
    • Why is it important to you to hold this meeting on the NIH campus?

  2. Complete the form, "NIH Police Special Events Form," revised 09/09, if you’ll have more than 50 non-NIH attendees. You get this form from the conference manager. This form should include the names of your non-NIH attendees to expedite their clearance at the Visitor Gateway Center. This form must be e-mailed to the conference manager no later than 3 days prior to your meeting.

  3. Find out your speakers’ audiovisual requirements before the meeting. (We cannot promise to honor A/V requests made the day of the meeting. Please give us at least one day's notice.)

  4. Please ask the speakers to arrive 30-45 minutes prior to the start of the meeting on the day they present. Presenters speaking later in the morning or anytime in the afternoon should be asked to report during lunch or coffee break preceding their talk. Speakers should be directed to the podium in the auditorium where they will check in their audiovisual materials and receive a brief orientation to the lectern. (Please direct all speakers to the podium, even if they are not using A/V materials, so that our staff will know that they’ve arrived and they can be oriented to the podium.)

  5. Staff the registration desk during the meeting. Your staff should close the front doors on either side of the auditorium once your program starts.

  6. Notify NLM staff if you require extra tables for a panel discussion in the auditorium, easels, flip charts, etc (this should be noted on the form NIH 827-2).

  7. If your meeting will have a poster session in the lobby area, make arrangements with the company and provide the conference manager with the following information:

    • Name of company supplying the poster boards. They should be aware of NIH fire policies.
    • Layout of the poster boards. Submit a layout of poster boards if you are not using a poster layout previously approved by the NIH Fire Marshall. The layout will need to be approved by the NIH Fire Marshall.
    • Number of poster boards – the maximum double-sided poster boards is 20
    • Set up time and date and strike time and date – the poster boards should be removed at the end of your meeting, there may be another meeting the next day

  8. Make arrangements for coffee breaks. A list of caterers follows, and you’re welcome to select others. If you are using the lobby area for your coffee breaks and/or lunch, we provide 3 - 5’ tables but we don’t supply table skirts. Please inform your caterer. The Lister Hill Center cafeteria is one level below the auditorium. If you are planning to serve lunch in the lobby and will have sterno burners, you must notify the conference manager at least one week in advance. The NIH Fire Marshall will inspect the luncheon set up and issue a one day burn permit.

  9. If you are planning on using the Lister Hill Center cafeteria for coffee breaks and/or lunches, please call the cafeteria manager, Mansour Shirani, 301-496-3697 with the times of the breaks and lunch. This allows him to plan accordingly.

  10. Tables and stacking chairs are available for your use in the lobby, such as coffee breaks, luncheon, or hand-out materials. These tables and chairs are located in the storage area behind the NLM Visitor Center (opposite from the registration desk). If available and approved by the conference manager, you may come the afternoon prior to your meeting to set up these tables. All tables and chairs must be returned to the storage area at the end of your meeting. All trash, leftover food containers, empty material boxes, etc. must be cleaned up and deposited in the trash hamper near the freight elevator. Please remember that there may be a meeting the next day in the auditorium. NOTE: The LHC Auditorium is not a conference center and thus doesn’t have the staff for set ups as noted above. At times, NLM may be able to provide manpower to set up tables and move chairs but this is dependent on NLM’s staff availability. You may request us to notify the NIH Office Movers (at least 2 days in advance and with a CAN number) to have them move tables, chairs and plants, but arrangements will also include the movers to return everything to its original spot at the end of your meeting. Please alert the conference manager if you are requesting the NIH Office Movers.

  11. Supply all other materials for the meeting –- poster boards for poster sessions, markers for flip charts, paper, pens, etc for your meeting attendees.

  12. The NLM Green Team strongly encourages you to use the burgundy recycling bins, in the Lister Hill Center lobby and by the elevators. Please dispose of aluminum cans, plastic bottles and other non-paper items in the bins marked "COMMINGLED," and all types of paper in the bins marked "PAPER." For more information, or to have bins emptied, please call NIH Recycling at 301-496-7990. We request that you also recycle clean cardboard boxes by placing them in the freight elevator bay (also the location of the trash hamper), which is through the double door to the left of the first floor men’s room.

  13. NLM reserves the right to disapprove future meeting requests if the meeting coordinator, sponsor and/or attendees abuse our facility and personnel.
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Miscellaneous

  1. Your reservation of the LHC Auditorium is considered "on hold" until you have completed form NIH 827-2, "Request for Use of Lister Hill Auditorium," and submitted it to the conference manager. - Your "on hold" reservation is held for 2 weeks after this form is sent to the requestor. - If the form is not received during the 2 weeks your "on hold" date(s) is released. Once the form is received, your request is considered "Tentative."

    The request form and amendment sheet is reviewed and forward to the Executive Officer and Director, NLM for approval. This approval process can take 30 days or longer. If your request is approved, you will be notified via e-mail by the conference manager. Do not consider your tentative reservation to be approved unless you receive notification.

  2. Smoking is prohibited on the NIH Campus.

  3. Food and drink, including all bottled water and drinks, are prohibited in the auditorium. We ask that you help us monitor this. The counter positions with desktop microphones and electrical outlets are susceptible to short outs due to liquid spills.

  4. Seating capacity of the Lister Hill Auditorium is 176. There are 96 counter positions that have desktop microphones; 68 theater style seats located at the back of the auditorium with aisle microphones; and, 12 chairs in front of the first row without access to microphones. In addition to the above 176 seats, we can provide up to 8 chairs for panels on the front stage of the auditorium.

  5. Inform your attendees that wireless internet connection is only available to those with an NIH account. All others will need an Ethernet cable to connect to the Internet in the auditorium. The 96 counter positions have a port and plug for laptop connections.

  6. NLM and the LHC Auditorium are handicapped accessible. The first row of counter positions is wheelchair accessible. We can supply devices for the hearing impaired but please give us advance notice. Restrooms and water fountains are wheelchair accessible and there are 6 handicapped parking spaces located on the roof top of the parking garage next to Building 38A. There is a TTY public phone behind the NLM Visitor Center.

  7. If you would like to display a poster announcing your meeting, we can supply an easel.

  8. If you have engaged a court reporter to transcribe the proceedings of your meetings, please let us know in advance. We will reserve space for that person and help him/her plug into our audio system.

  9. A guide to services and a list of housekeeping announcements follows. Please feel free to photocopy them, along with the maps and other materials in this packet, for meeting participants.

Questions? Please contact the conference manager at 301-496-5389.

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Guide to Services - Lister Hill Center Auditorium

Cafeteria –- Level B-1. Located down the stairs in the center of the lobby and to the left. Open for breakfast, coffee breaks and lunch.
Hours of operation: 7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. weekdays. Hot food service ends at 1:30 p.m.

Coat Racks –- The coat racks are just outside the auditorium, near the Media Preparation Room. Luggage may be stored in the coat room but NLM is not responsible for missing or stolen items. There are no NIH Guards posted in Building 38A.

Rest Rooms/Water Fountain –- Beside the elevators (visible from the center of the lobby) near the registration desk. There are also rest rooms and water fountains in similar locations on each floor of Lister Hill.

Messages –- The telephone number at the registration desk is 301-496-4062. This phone is not connected to voice mail, so messages cannot be left on the phone.

Public Phones –- Behind the NLM Visitors Center, on the opposite side of the lobby from the elevators. There are 2 pay phones (one is wheelchair accessible and has instructions for TTY/TDD calling) and 1 NIH “house phone.” The registration desk phone is for local calls only.

Parking –- Parking at NIH is extremely limited. Persons with NIH parking tags can park in the employee parking areas (a four-level deck adjacent to the Lister Hill building, the large parking lot (41-B) behind Lister Hill, and a small group of spaces north of Building 38 (the main National Library of Medicine building). Visitors are encouraged to park in the NIH Gateway Visitor Lot, about 300 yards from the Lister Hill Center. (There is also an NIH "Limited" Campus Shuttle that runs approximately every 10 minutes from the Gateway Center to the Lister Hill Center.) All visitors’ parking costs $2/hour up to 3 hours, then a maximum fee of $12/day. If you park at the Gateway Visitor Lot, the attendant only accepts cash, no credit cards are allowed. If you park at a visitor metered space, the meters only accept quarters. (More information can be found at http://parking.nih.gov/Gateway.htm).

Audience Microphones –- Conference microphones (at each seat in the lower section) can be activated by pressing the “MIC” button. A red ring will light up when the mic has been activated. Press the “MIC” button again to turn the mic off. Only 6 microphones can be active at one time. Please note that there are two free-standing microphones for the rear section of seats.

Housekeeping Announcements:

(We suggest that you read these aloud at the beginning of each day of your meeting.)

  1. No food, beverages or bottled water or drinks are allowed in the auditorium.

  2. No smoking is allowed on the NIH Campus.

  3. Conference mics at each seat can be activated by pressing the "MIC" button. A red ring will light up when the mic has been activated.

  4. On the day of their presentation, all speakers should check in at the podium (30-45 minutes before the meeting starts for the first group of morning presenters, and for presenters later in the morning or anytime in the afternoon, during the break before their talk). Speakers and meeting coordinators should remember to pick up your A/V materials before the end of the conference.

  5. Registration desk telephone number is 301-496-4062.

  6. Public phones, and an NIH house phone, are located behind the NLM Visitors Center, on the first floor of Lister Hill.
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Suggested Lodging and Transportation

Lodging: A list of hotels and motels in the Bethesda area is available from the NIH Clinical Center.

Taxi Service: Barwood Taxi - 301-984-1900

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Recommended Caterers



You may choose your own caterer. We have no restrictions.
  • Lister Hill Cafeteria Service
    Manager Mansour Shirani
    Offers catered meals, coffee breaks and receptions
    Lister Hill Building, B-1 Level
    Bethesda, MD 20892
    301-496-3697
  • NIH Eurest Caterers
    Building 45 Natcher
    301-402-9701
    Contact the NIH Events Management Office if you need additional space on campus for a
    separate luncheon room or breakout rooms at 301-496-9966
  • V & R Caterers (caters many functions at NLM): 301-213-7727
  • Balducci's Gourmet (caters many functions at NLM)
    10323 Old Georgetown Road
    Bethesda, MD 20814-1903
    301-564-3100
  • Catering by Windows
    1125 N. Royal St.
    Alexandria, VA 22314
    703-519-3500
  • Corner Bakery Catering (caters many functions at NLM)
    10327 Westlake Dr.
    Bethesda, MD 20817
    301-469-8774
  • Executive Catering
    7900 Westpark Drive
    McLean, VA 22101
    703-821-1999
  • Geppetto's (caters many functions at NLM)
    10257 Old Georgetown Road
    Bethesda, MD 20814
    301-493-9230
  • Maryland Country Caterers (caters many functions at NLM)
    673 Keith Lane
    Owings, MD 20736
    1-301-855-2771
  • Sans Rival (caters many functions at NLM)
    3636 16th Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20010
    202-462-4454
  • Well Dunn Catering, Inc.
    513 Morse Street, NE
    Washington, DC 20002-7011
    202-543-7878
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Security Procedures for Entering the NIH Campus

Information can be found at the following Website: http://www.nih.gov/about/visitorsecurity.htm

Visitor Gateway Center

NIH Gateway Center - Aerial view

Visitors will be required to show one (1) form of identification (a government-issued photo ID—driver's license, passport, green card, etc.) and to state the purpose of their visit.

The NIH Gateway Center is located adjacent to the Medical Center Metro Station at the South Drive entrance to campus from Rockville Pike/Wisconsin Avenue (Route 355). It combines visitor parking, non-commercial vehicle inspection and visitor ID processing, all in one location. The NIH will process all visitors in vehicles or as pedestrians.

Pedestrians

Gateway Center (for Pedestrians) - Building 66: Open 24 hours
For individuals arriving as pedestrians, the Gateway Center (Building 66) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, capable of handling single individuals to large busloads of visitors, quickly and efficiently.

Vehicles For visitors arriving in vehicles, on motorcycles or bicycles, the Gateway Vehicle Inspection Station (Building 66A), provides multiple inspection lanes and allows visitors to go through inspection and get a visitor badge in one centralized, efficient process. Vehicles enter the Gateway Center complex through a new roadway, "NIH Gateway Drive," just south of the intersection of the previous visitor entrance at South Drive and Rockville Pike. Vehicles that choose to bypass parking in MLP-11 will go through inspection and enter campus at Center Drive near the National Library of Medicine. (See Gateway Map: http://parking.nih.gov/Gateway.htm)

Gateway Center Vehicle Inspection (Building 66A):
Monday - Friday, 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday, 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Taxies may enter campus via the Gateway Center Vehicle Inspection Center (or CVIF), and must use the CVIF when the Gateway Center Vehicle Inspection Center is closed.

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Parking

Please note: Visitor parking is limited at NIH. Visitors are encouraged to use public transportation such as the Metrorail subway system which has a convenient stop (Medical Center) on the NIH campus. Visit the "Metro" site for information on fares and schedules: http://www.wmata.com/.

The Gateway complex also includes MLP-11, a 342-space, multi-level underground parking garage. This 'visitor-only' lot will be the primary visitor parking for the NIH main campus. We strongly encourage all visitors to park in this garage as there will be limited visitor parking on campus. Vehicles parking in MLP-11 are outside of the perimeter security and will not go through vehicle inspection, reducing the amount of time it takes to get on campus.

Visitors parking in MLP-11 should proceed to the Gateway Center to get a visitor badge and either walk or take a shuttle bus to their destination. Take the NIH "Limited" campus shuttle, it is the fastest shuttle to NLM. The schedule can be found at this website: http://dtts.ors.od.nih.gov/NIHShuttle/scripts/shuttle_map_live.asp

The cost to park in MLP-11 is $2 per hour for the first three hours, $12 maximum for the entire day. The attendant only accepts cash, no credit cards. This is the same rate currently charged for all visitors' metered parking at the NIH.

NOTE: Meters ONLY take quarters.

NIH Gateway Center Map

NIH Gateway Center Map

Click here to download a printable version of this page [PDF]

Building 38A, the Lister Hill Center Auditorium is across the street from Building 45.

Main Visitor Entrance:
NIH Gateway Drive

Gateway Center - Building 66 (for pedestrians entering campus)

  • Open 24 hours, 7 days a week

Gateway Inspection Station - Building 66A (for vehicles entering campus)

  • Monday - Friday: 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
    Weekends: 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
    After hours: After 10:00 p.m. on weekdays and 6:00 p.m. on weekends, visitors in vehicles should enter campus via the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility (CVIF) - Building 67 (on Rockville Pike between North Drive and Wilson Drive)
  • After inspection, vehicles enter campus at Center Drive
  • Roadway at Center Drive is for entering campus only; visitors exiting campus may exit from other open locations. To see a list of exits, please visit the employee map.
  • All vehicles and their contents will be inspected upon entering the campus.

Multi-Level Parking Garage 11 – MLP-11 (for parking outside of campus)

  • Monday - Friday:
    6:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. (entrance)
    6:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. (exit)
    Weekends: Closed
  • When MLP-11 is closed, visitors can park in lots on the NIH Campus
  • Visitors parking in this garage should proceed to the Gateway Center (Bldg. 66) to get a visitor badge
  • All visitors traveling in a vehicle are highly encouraged to park in MLP-11 as there is limited visitor parking on the main campus
  • No vehicle inspection required to park in MLP-11
  • Vehicles left in the MLP-11 parking garage after 11:00 p.m. on weekdays or during any weekends are subject to ticketing and towing
  • Cost: $2 per hour for the first three hours, $12 maximum for the entire day (meters only accept quarters)

Directions to NIH Gateway Drive from Rockville Pike/Wisconsin Avenue

Southbound:

  1. Continue on Rockville Pike past South Drive
  2. Turn right at NIH Gateway Drive

Northbound – Option 1:

  1. Continue on Rockville Pike past South Drive
  2. Make a u-turn from the left turn lane at Wilson Drive
  3. Continue southbound on Rockville Pike past South Drive
  4. Turn right at NIH Gateway Drive

Northbound – Option 2:

  1. Continue on Rockville Pike
  2. Turn left at Battery Lane
  3. Turn right on Old Georgetown Road
  4. Turn right on Cedar Lane
  5. Turn right on Rockville Pike
  6. Continue southbound on Rockville Pike past South Drive
  7. Turn right at NIH Gateway Drive

Northbound – Option 3:

  1. Continue on Rockville Pike to South Drive
  2. Make a u-turn from the left turn lane at South Drive
  3. Continue southbound on Rockville Pike
  4. Turn right at NIH Gateway Drive

To learn more about visitor and security issues at the NIH, visit: http://www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm.

For questions about campus access, please contact the ORS Information Line at orsinfo@mail.nih.gov or 301-594-6677, TTY - 301-435-1908.

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Additional Information

Below is a map showing the walking path from the NIH Gateway Center to the Lister Hill Center Auditorium and a map of the NIH campus.

Walking path from the NIH Gateway Center (at the Medical Center Metro) to the Lister Hill Center Auditorium

Walking path from the NIH Gateway Center (at the Medical Center Metro) to the Lister Hill Center Auditorium
Building 38A is the location of the Lister Hill Center Auditorium. Follow the block arrows. The black arrows go to the front entrance the Building 38, National Library of Medicine.

Map of the NIH CampusMap of the NIH Campus

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