Help and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the Conservation Library open to the public?
You may arrange a visit to the library. Library materials circulate only to students and staff at NCTC unless they are requested through another library using the interlibrary loan process. You are welcome to view the NCTC Library Catalog for interlibrary loan purposes.
Are the information services of the Conservation Library available from my field office?
Yes. However, the library serves the students and staffs at the NCTC and will make that a priority. The library staff will assist with information needs offsite when time allows.
Where can I get older FWS technical reports and resource publications?
The Conservation Library collection includes a number of older publications so please check the NCTC Library Catalog first. Go to the FWS Publications Online page where you may discover that your much needed publication is available on the webThe next best source would include an interlibrary loan request to some of the BRD Libraries (with their superb FWS collections) and the Department of the Interior Library.
The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) has a number of publications available for sale.
Where can I send donations to the Library?
Please submit a list of the materials you wish to donate. We will respond by checking off all items we would like to add to the library collection. Please send via email to library@fws.gov or send to:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Conservation Training Center
Conservation Library
698 Conservation Way
Shepherdstown, WV 25443-9713
Once we have determined what the library could use please use the above address for shipping. If you have difficulties paying for the shipping please let us know and we will send a label(s). However, you will need to determine the exact weight and cost via library rate.
Can I request a book to be interlibrary loaned from another library?
If you are a NCTC student, course leader or instructor and will pick up the material at the library then the library can supply you with a book or other material on an interlibrary loan basis. [Service employees not at NCTC: if you request material that is not in the Conservation Library, we can only refer you to another library near your office which has the material you need. However, journal articles can be delivered at any time to the Conservation Library and then sent on to you.] Third party lending is not allowed as stated in the ALA Interlibrary Loan Policies statement.
Where can I find a natural history and environmental quote?
You may refer to the following sources:
EARTH TALK Great Natural History and Environmental Quotations
Environmental History Quotations
Environmental Quotes from EPA Region 2 Library
Where can I get a copy of various wildlife laws?
Summaries of Federal and State wildlife laws are available at http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest.html. The actual text of the laws themselves can be retrieved at the Law Revision Counsel's site.
Where can I get a reference to a CFR Title?
If you do not know about GPO Access then today's your lucky day. This has a very easy to use search engine for not only the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) but also the Federal Register and the United States Code to name a few.
Where can I get an up-to-date list of endangered species?
Check out the Virtual Library under Species Information to a variety of other sources including the excellent resources of the FWS Endangered Species Web Site. Go to Listed Species Information Central for the most up-to-date list.
Where can I obtain a copy of the standards for the HIS models?
Available at the Conservation Library's FWS Publications Online site.
Where can I find information about conservation history?
Mark Madison, FWS historian, has an excellent website at:
http://nctc.fws.gov/history.
An excellent chronology is provided at the Library of Congress' American Memory Historical Collections for the National Digital Library: The Evolution of the Conservation Movement 1850-1920. The Audubon Society has a list of "Conservation Champions" at http://magazine.audubon.org/century/champion.html.
Keep in mind the following organization:
American Society for Environmental History
