General Information

Information Resource Center (IRC)

The Information Resource Center (IRC) is an integral part of the Public Affairs Section of U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan. The IRC offers information about American political, social, and cultural life. Researchers and professionals can visit the IRC and use the latest in reference collection and Internet technology to locate specific documents and find answers to questions about U.S. government and institutions, legislative developments, foreign and domestic policies, and social, economic, political, and security issues. Researchers and professionals who are unfamiliar with the new technology may learn how to use both Internet and CD-ROM technology at the IRC.

Reference Collection

The reference collection at the IRC consists of about 1,000 volumes including encyclopedias, atlases, handbooks, almanacs, and yearbooks. The IRC provides information on current events as well as biographical data, statistics, and bibliographic information on a wide range of subjects.

Internet and CD-ROMs

The IRC also has online access to more than 300 data banks in the United States via Internet and several databases on CD-ROM. These include: ProQuest — full text database in English of over 300 magazines as well as indexed abstracts of 1,400 periodicals on a variety of subjects. In addition, back issues of the New York Times are available through this system; Factiva — online collection of more than 6,000 newswires, magazines, and trade journals in English; Lexis-Nexis — the largest online database of law, news and country profiles, U.S. Code, Encyclopedias, etc.

The IRC in Astana is located at:

Ak-Bulak 4
Street 23-22, Building 3
Astana, Kazakhstan 010010
Tel.: +7 7172 70-23-01
email: ircastana@usembassy.kz

The IRC in Almaty is located at:

Samal-2
97 Zholdasbekov Street
Almaty, Kazakhstan 050059
Tel.:  +7 7272 50-48-02
email: info@usembassy.kz

Access to the IRC is by appointment only. In order to get into the IRC, you should bring your ID. Please note that you are not allowed to bring your cell phone in; you should leave it switched off in the Security’s Main CAC of the Embassy.