National Library of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
The facility is only a few blocks from the Maryland Avenue Exit of the L'Enfant Plaza Metro stop. Public bus service operates within one block of the building. There are several public parking garages within a 2-block radius of the building. If you are planning to visit the Library, you will be required to present a picture ID in order to enter the Headquarters Building.
Hours of Operation:
Monday–Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except federal holidays.
Telephone/Fax Numbers
Toll-free : 1-800-424-1616
TTY: 202-205-7561
Reference: 202-205-5015/202-205-5019
Government Documents: 202-205-5015/202-205-5019.
Circulation: 202-205-5012/202-205-4945
Interlibrary Loan: Same as Reference
Fax: 202-401-0547/202-260-7364
The National Library of Education (NLE) serves as the federal government's primary resource center for education information, providing collections and information services to the public, education community and other government agencies on current and historical programs, activities and publications of the U.S. Department of Education; federal education policy; and education research and statistics. In addition to on-site access, the Library's services are available by phone, Internet, fax and mail.
Collections: The Library's central collection focuses on the field of education, especially resources published since 1965, as well as related fields such as law, public policy, economics, urban affairs, sociology, history, philosophy, psychology, and information science. In addition to a collection of over 60,000 books, the Library holds more than 800 English-language journals in education and related fields; the complete ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) microfiche collection; archives of official print and electronic documents published by the U.S. Department of Education; and histories and documentation of education legislation passed by the Congress. The Library also serves as a depository under the Federal Depository Library Program of the U.S. Government Printing Office, making available documents produced by various other federal government agencies.
Services: The Library offers on-site information, statistical and referral services to the public and to representatives of other government agencies and institutions; these services also are available by phone, fax, Internet, and mail. As a participating institution in the U.S. Government Printing Office's Federal Depository Library Program, the Library provides assistance for locating and using government documents. In addition, the Library works with other libraries to support virtual reference services to the public, as well as responds directly to questions from libraries all over the world, submitted on behalf of their customers. In-depth research services are available to the U.S. Department of Education staff and contractors.
The Library circulates its resources to staff and contractors of the U.S. Department of Education. The public may request the Library's resources through their local public, school or academic library; the Library makes its resources available to libraries worldwide.