United States Department of Labor

Wirtz Labor Library FAQs

Q: How do I contact the Wirtz Labor Library?

A: The Wirtz Labor Library can be reached:

Q: What are the library’s hours of operation?

A: The Wirtz Labor Library is opened from 8:15a.m. to 4:45p.m., Monday through Friday.

Q: Who can use the Wirtz Labor Library?

A: You! The library serves the Department of Labor employees and contract staff. It is also open to the public via our participation in the Federal Depository Library Program.

Q: How large is the Wirtz Labor Library’s collection?

A: The Wirtz Labor Library provides access to items acquired since 1975 through an Online Catalog and access to most holdings acquired prior to 1975 through a Card Catalog. The following table gives the details on the collection:

Q: What are the areas of the Wirtz Labor Library?

A: The Wirtz Labor Library is composed of three areas:

• The Wirtz Labor Library
• The Labor Law Library
• The Special Collections

Q: What are some of the Collection Features of the Wirtz Labor Library?

A: The Wirtz collection offers a broad perspective on labor and employment via publications from government, labor unions, academia and news media. Examples include the following:

• Over 38,000 cataloged titles, of publications related to labor movement, labor supply, child labor, women employment, wages and hours in industries, industrial health and safety, safety standards.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics bulletins and reports since 1895 to present.
• Women's Bureau Bulletins since 1918 to present.
• Historical journal collection including such titles as American Economic Review, 1911- present and Monthly Labor Review, 1918-present.
• Partial federal depository library for Government Printing Office materials.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1883- to present.
• Historic collection of state government documents and reports relating to labor conditions.
• Over 3,000 periodicals and newspapers of American and foreign trade unions.
• Departmental publications such as Producer Price Index, Consumer Price Index and Occupational Outlook Quarterly.
• Official portraits of United State Department of Labor Secretaries.
• Annual reports of the Secretary of Labor (1913-present).
• International Labour Organization publications and conference reports (1919-present).
• Labor Hall of Fame Inductees Video Collections (1989-present).
• Wholesale Price Index (WPI)which became the Producer Price Index in 1978 published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics can be traced back to 1890.
• Statistical collection of labor and economic periodicals published by United States government agencies and foreign government agencies.

Q: What are some of the Collection Features of the Law Library?

A: The Law Library’s collection is designed to serve the needs of attorneys engaged in Federal Labor Law practice. The collection includes:

• A treatise collection focused on federal labor laws and related fields such as immigration, bankruptcy and trust law.
• Administrative decisions by various labor organizations both inside and outside the DOL. These include ARB, BRB, ALJ, OSHRC, and EEOC.
• Congressional Information Service’s complete Congressional publications, which includes committee prints, hearings, reports and executive documents from 1984 to 2003 (microfiche).
• Legislative histories relating to the subject area of labor including the Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA), the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
• Bound set of the Federal Register (August 1977 to present) with older editions available on microfiche.

Q: What if the material is not available in print?

A: The library maintains a collection of microfilm, providing access to hard to find items. This collection includes:

• Over 9500 reels of microfilm.
• Code of Federal Regulations from their original publication in 1939 to 1985.
• Federal Registers from their original publication in 1936 to 1993.
• Congressional Globe and Congressional Record from 1873 to 1985.
• Statutes at Large from 1789 to 1953.
• Historic U.S. & foreign labor periodicals and newspapers from all fifty states.
• Collections of manuscripts from prominent labor leaders such as Terence Powderly, The Kester Collection, John Mitchell, Eugene Debbs & Samuel Gompers.
• The Sears Christmas Catalog, often used as a barometer of the economy, starting in 1888.
• Regional Reporters 1st Series: Atlantic, North Western, & South Eastern.

Q: What are some of the Taylor Special Collections Features?

A: The Taylor collection is made up of items in need of special care due to age or format. The collection includes:

• Constitution and by-laws of the American trade unions publications from 1800's to 1950's.
• Various labor publications of Women's Bureau; Transportation industries; Steel and automobile industries; Mining industries.
• Annual reports of different state labor statistics from 1800-1930.
• State government statistical abstracts from 1900-1930.
• State censuses from 1800's to 1930's.
• Factories and Inspections reports from various countries from 1825-1930.
• Additional historic holdings are housed in the George Meany Memorial Archives through an agreement between the Archives and the Department of Labor.

Q: What is a Folio and what is in the Folio Special Collections?

A: Folios are oversized items and therefore are housed separately from the main library collection. Many of these items require special handling due to their size and age. Please contact the library if you would like to access this collection. Features include:

• Over 850 titles of historically significant labor-related oversize newspapers.
• Over 240 original Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) records.
• Over 2500 trade union serials, both domestics and foreign which date back to the early 1890's.
• Newspapers, periodicals and statistical summaries which described the labor movement in the United States and abroad.