DC Reference Center

Reference Desk

DC Reference Center, Washington, DC

The National Agricultural Library's DC Reference Center is open to the public for research purposes. Visitors may request materials to review or copy onsite, but Library policy restricts loans to the public.
Spotlights
Hours

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time
Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays)
Location

The DC Reference Center is located in Room 1052,
between Wings 4 and 5 of the Department of Agriculture's South Building, at the corner of 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW, in Washington, D.C. The South Building is one block from the Washington Mall and steps from Metro's Smithsonian Station.
Address and Phone

DC Reference Center
USDA South Building, Room 1052
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250-7201
(202) 720-3434
Entry Instructions

For the General Public:

  • Enter the Department of Agriculture's South Building at one of the following entrances:
    • Wing 1, 12th Street and Independence Avenue, SW (Smithsonian Metro)
    • Wing 2, 12th and C Streets, SW
    • Wing 7, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW
  • Inform the security guards that you will be visiting the DC Reference Center and give them our phone number, (202) 720-3434
  • Show picture ID and sign in as instructed to receive a USDA visitors badge
  • Pass through the security check point
  • Wait for a library staff member to escort you to the Reference Center

For Government ID holders:

  • Enter the South Building as above
  • Proceed to the Reference Center unescorted (Room 1052, Independence Avenue side, between Wing 4 and Wing 5)
Directions

By Car:

By MetroRail:

By Train:

  • Amtrak trains stop at Washington's Union Station. From there take MetroRail
  • All MARC train lines terminate at Washington's Union Station. From there take MetroRail
  • All VRE train lines stop at L'Enfant Station. From there take MetroRail or, to walk:
    • Exit on the 7th Street side;
    • Make a right at the bottom of the stairs
    • Continue on 7th Street to Independence Avenue
    • Turn left on Independence Avenue
    • Walk on Independence approximately 7 blocks to the South Building

By Plane:

Three airports serve Beltsville, Maryland and the greater Baltimore-Washington area. Visit the airport web sites to arrange air travel and ground transportation to NAL if needed. More detailed travel information from each of the airports is provided by the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center.

(Note: Estimated driving times may increase dramatically during rush hour.)

For driving directions from the airports, go to Yahoo Maps, enter the appropriate airport code, and click "Get Directions."

By USDA Shuttle (USDA Employees Only):


  • Runs between the George Washington Carver Center and USDA's South Building
  • Leaves from the South Building's First Wing Arch and the Carver Center's main entrance
  • Scheduled to run approximately every twenty minutes during peak hours, every sixty minutes off-peak.
Dining
  • USDA's South Building Cafeteria is open to the public
    from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Inquire at the South Building entrances or at the D.C. Reference Center for access information
  • Nearby museum cafes are generally open in conjunction with museum hours. See the following museum Web sites for further information: