The transfer, initiated in Might and scheduled to finish in August, has necessitated the non permanent closure of its doorways to the general public.
In keeping with Navy Librarian Dylan Beazer, the transfer and the brand new facility will carry key enhancements.
“First, The Library workers might be extra centrally positioned in a single constructing. It is at present a problem working tasks with the crew seated in several places, so will probably be a greater working surroundings for us. The supplies may even be extra concentrated in a single location, and that enables for ease of entry for our patrons.”
Moreover, addressing issues about environmental controls, Beazer highlighted the advantages of the brand new facility.
“This new facility will preserve the Navy’s books, historic paperwork, and different objects in a long-term steady surroundings,” he stated. “Which means we’ll spend much less money and time on preservation efforts as they will keep in higher situation for longer. It can additionally enable the general public and Navy historians longer entry to the fabric for analysis and supply us with room for progress for our future collections. Crucial factor is a greater surroundings to manage the humidity and temperature, retaining books more healthy for longer. The objects may even be positioned collectively and the power will give us extra room for future progress.”
The library’s spectacular assortment features a staggering 114,000 e book titles, 374,000 manuscripts, and 189,000 periodicals, with a specific emphasis on naval, nautical, and army historical past from around the globe. These invaluable assets kind the bedrock of the Navy Division Library’s enduring legacy. Amongst its gems are historic artifacts that carry to life the wealthy legacy of naval heritage.
Whereas the Navy Library assortment is in depth, there are sometimes misconceptions about its scope, Beazer stated.
“The dimensions of the gathering, what it covers, and the way we develop it. Whereas we concentrate on U.S. naval historical past, we additionally cowl different facets of maritime historical past, and now we have assets on the opposite army branches too. We develop our assortment each by means of e book shopping for and donations, particularly concerning cruise books and distinctive historic objects.”
Established by a directive from President John Adams to Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert in 1800, the Navy Division Library has advanced right into a treasured establishment that holds an array of naval and maritime historical past, customs, and traditions. As one of many few main army historic libraries accessible to the general public, it serves as a beacon of data for a global viewers.
Addressing entry to the library’s assets for its many audiences across the nation and all through the fleet, Beazer highlighted the library’s digital assets. “The very best place is on our web site in our on-line studying room and directs customers to go to the net studying room.” (https://www.historical past.navy.mil/analysis/library/online-reading-room.html). He additionally famous the photograph archives are searchable, and an excellent portion of their assortment is obtainable on-line at https://www.historical past.navy.mil/content material/historical past/nhhc/our-collections/pictures.html. Whereas the library will make efforts to work on requests for info (RFIs) with their restricted assets, there is probably not an expectation of an instantaneous response.
Because the Navy Division Library undertakes this historic transfer, its workers acknowledges the non permanent inconvenience the closure poses to patrons. Nonetheless, they’ve made provisions to make sure that the library’s providers stay accessible in some capability. Whereas the library won’t be able to ship out interlibrary loans (ILLs) to different establishments throughout this era, it is going to actively order ILLs for its personal patrons. The workers will try to deal with inquiries from the general public, although they anticipate some limitations as a result of relocation course of.
Because the Navy Division Library settles into its new location, it anticipates the chance to proceed serving its neighborhood with enhanced entry to its unparalleled assortment. This historic relocation not solely protects the previous but in addition paves the way in which for the preservation of future naval artifacts.
The workers on the Navy Division Library stays dedicated to advancing the understanding of naval heritage and safeguarding the tales that form our historical past.
NHHC, positioned on the Washington Navy Yard, is liable for preserving, analyzing, and disseminating U.S. naval historical past and heritage. It gives the data basis for the Navy by sustaining traditionally related assets and merchandise that mirror the Navy’s distinctive and enduring contributions by means of our nation’s historical past and helps the fleet by aiding with and delivering skilled analysis, evaluation, and interpretive providers. NHHC contains many actions, together with the Navy Division Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy artwork and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, 10 museums, USS Structure restore facility, and the historic ship Nautilus.
