The George Washington University

University Libraries

The George Washington University’s five libraries serve the three University campuses, the Law School and the Medical Center. They offer students and faculty members access to thousands of scholarly journals, reference books, international literature old and new, maps, photographs, history tomes and much more. Special collections feature unique literature and first-hand history not found elsewhere.

Burns Law Library 

The Jacob Burns Law Library is among the largest academic law libraries in the United States. It features a research collection rich in American historic and contemporary legal materials, as well as international and comparative materials. The Law Library’s holdings of more than 600,000 volumes (and equivalents) and its range of electronic resources provide researchers with a wealth of legal information.

Eckles Library at Mount Vernon Campus

The Eckles Library, located on the Mount Vernon Campus, is part of the George Washington University Libraries. It houses a print collection of more than 64,000 volumes covering political science, women’s history and contemporary issues, interior design, history, literature and more.

Gelman Library 

The Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library is the University’s largest library. It houses the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Labor History Research Center, the Special Collections Research Center Manuscript Division, a Rare Books and Maps Division, National Security Archives, the Global Resources Center and rotating exhibits.

Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library serves the faculty, students and staff of The George Washington University Medical Center by providing the resources and services needed to support the Medical Center's educational, clinical and research activities. Himmelfarb librarians assist the University community with various research needs. Among the library’s responsibilities are ensuring that the University is in compliance with the National Institutes of Health Open Access Policy and assisting researchers applying for federal grants with compliance issues.

Virginia Science and Technology Campus Library 

The Virginia Science and Technology Campus Library, located in Ashburn, Va., is part of the George Washington University Libraries and serves the neighboring Virginia communities. As a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center and member of this nationwide network of libraries, community foundations and nonprofit agencies, the library provides visitors with free public access to grant maker directories, books and select electronic databases from the Foundation Center. The Foundation Directory Online, a fully searchable database with detailed profiles of all active U.S. foundations, is available during regular library hours.

Library Alliances

Chesapeake Information and Research Library Alliance 

Gelman, Eckles, and the Virginia Science and Technology Campus Library belong to the Chesapeake Information and Research Library Alliance (CIRLA). CIRLA libraries are members of the prestigious Association of Research Libraries located in Delaware, the District of Columbia and Maryland. CIRLA members allow certain borrowing privileges across institutions. Other alliance members include area universities such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, as well as the Library of Congress, the National Agricultural Library, the National Library of Medicine and the Smithsonian Institution.

Washington Research Library Consortium 

Gelman, Eckles, and the Virginia Science and Technology Campus Library belong to the Washington Research Library Consortium, which extends borrowing privileges to eligible patrons from other Consortium libraries. WRLC members are found in the immediate Washington area and include American University, Catholic University, Georgetown University, George Mason University and others.