L&A in DC Reading Room

L&A in DC

We welcome a worldwide community of scholars and the broader public to access our collection.

Welcome

Located in the Hoover Institution in Washington, D.C. branch office is a space for researchers to study select digital collections held by the Library & Archives. The L&A in DC office is freely open to the public for academic research, but reservations are required.

room

Open Hours

Monday - Friday 
9 am – 12 pm, 1 pm – 5pm (Eastern Time)
By Reservation Only.

Hoover Institution in Washington

1399 New York Ave NW #500
Washington, DC 20005

Get Directions

+1(202)760-3200

Email Us

Reopen Status & Updates

Please expect modifications to our hours of operation during the year as we may be impacted by staffing shortages or Stanford University, county, and state requirements in response to COVID. Please abide by posted regulations. Thanks for your understanding. 
 

Plan a Research Visit

Please review these steps to ensure a seamless research experience. Upon arrival, please be prepared to show government issued photo identification (i.e., driver’s license, passport). 
 

Register as a Researcher

All researchers must register and create an account with Aeon, the Hoover Institution Library & Archives’ online request and reservation system.

Select a Collection to View

Identify one of the specialized digitized collections that you would like to access.

Make a Reservation

Contact us by email or phone to reserve a seat at least one week in advance.

 

Email: hoover-dc-readingroom@stanford.edu

Phone: +1(202)760-3200

Visitor Policies

Camera Use Restrictions

Cameras are not allowed if you are accessing the Ba'ath Party Records or the Iraq Memory Foundation (IMF) records.

Other Restrictions & Accommodations

Mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) will be locked away. Notepaper and pencils are available on-site.
 

Library & Archives Policies

Policies are in place to guide researchers and to ensure that materials are cared for and available for their ongoing use.

Access to Digital Collections

A limited number of digitized collection material is available on our Digital Collections portal which can be accessed from anywhere in the world, however certain collections, including specialized digitization projects which are covered under copyright must be viewed in our reading rooms. Below is a list of digital collections that can be accessed in our L&A in DC office.

Collections Accessible in DC

Photo montage of a image of a magnifying glass highlighting Baghdad, Iraq, and a image of a researcher looking at digital collections

Ba'ath Party Records

The Hiẓb al-Ba'th al-'Arabī al-Ishtirākī Records (Ba'ath Party Records) contain more than ten million digitized page images and fifteen hundred video files collected by the Muʼassasat al-dhākirah al-ʼIrāqīyah (Iraq Memory Foundation) from the Ba'ath Regional Command headquarters and other sources are housed in the Hoover Archives. 

Screenshot of the home page of the Hoji Shinbun Digital Collection

Hoji Shinbun Digital Collection

The Hoji Shinbun Digital Collection is currently the world’s largest online archive of open-access, full image Japanese American and other overseas Japanese newspapers in Asia and South America. Image content in this collection is accompanied by OCR-generated text where possible, thus rendering the text searchable. The nature of the newspapers varies significantly from community-focused to political or military propaganda depending on the political conditions and target readership. This project is organized by the Japanese Diaspora Initiative at the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in collaboration with East View. Some content is currently restricted to Stanford University users due to copyright agreement with the publishers.

Screenshot of the homepage of the Afghan Serials Collection

Afghan Serials Collection

This digital repository of partisan serials from the Wahdat Library is the most comprehensive private collection of rare newspapers and journals from Afghanistan available online through partnership with East View. It is comprised of the careful selection of newspapers and journals published in Persian, Arabic, Urdu, and English, spanning much of the twentieth century and published throughout Afghanistan and by the Afghan diaspora in adjacent countries.

Screenshot of the catalog results for Hoover's East Asian Vault

East Asian Vault

This collaborative digitization project with East View consists of 3,034 rare, primarily Chinese language texts from the Hoover Institution Library & Archives collections that were published between 1643-1992. It is accessible in partnership with Stanford University Libraries via the Stanford Digital Repository.

Screenshot of the homepage of The First World War portal created by Adam Matthews Digital

The First World War Portal

This portal, created by Adam Matthews Digital, includes different presentations of the First World War via four thematic models: Personal Experiences, Propaganda and Recruitment, Visual Perspectives and Narratives, and A Global Conflict. Each uses a vast array of primary source materials drawn from several archives and collections around the world, including Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Screenshot of the home page of the Medical Service and Warfare Portal

Medical Services And Warfare Portal

In collaboration with digital content provider Adam Matthew and renowned archival repositories across the globe, this portal is a digital resource for the study of health and medical services during wartime. Gathering material from multiple conflicts and institutions to build a picture of the experience and development of medical practice as influenced by the wars of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The collection draws heavily from Hoover's rich holdings on WWI, particularly holdings related to the Red Cross. Materials also include hospital reports and registers, correspondence, memoirs and diaries, printed books and periodicals, photographs, maps, charts, and hospital plans.

Research Services

In support of a vibrant community of scholars and the public interested in the meaning and role of history, the Hoover Institution Library & Archives is open to anyone. Whether you are planning an onsite visit or conducting your research from afar, staff are dedicated to connecting users with the most relevant materials through reference consultations, assisting with registration and material requests, digitization, and more.

Contact Us

Address

Address

1399 New York Ave NW #500
Washington, DC 2000

Hours

Hours & Access

Monday - Friday 

9 am – 12 pm, 1 pm – 5pm Eastern Time

By Reservation Only.

overlay image