U. S. Geological Survey Library

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Library is the largest earth science library in the world. The library serves the research needs of USGS scientists throughout the nation and provides information to other organizations and individuals in the areas of geology, hydrology, cartography, biology, and related fields. USGS libraries are located in Reston, Virginia, Denver, Colorado, Menlo Park, California, and Flagstaff, Arizona. Some of the library holdings are available on-line, while others can be purchased from USGS, ordered via an interlibrary loan, or attained from one of the four library locations directly. The library home page provides links to search engines for USGS publications, photographs, maps, etc. Users can search various databases to find what they need. These databases include: the Geographic Names Information System database, the Minerals Information Collection, the National Geologic Map Database, and a database of purchased journals held by the library. Users can also search the library's catalog, and can post questions to a librarian via the Ask a Librarian link. Educational levels: Graduate or professional, Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division