General Information

The American Center will be closed from February 6th to 18th, 2013 in observance of the Tet (Lunar New Year) Holiday and U.S. President's Day.

Key links to AC’s services and resources

• Register to become our member:
  - Researchers, teachers/lecturers, journalists and Vietnamese Government officials: https://creator.zoho.com/pashanoi/form/56/
  - Students: https://creator.zoho.com/pashanoi/form/14
• Register for public event(s) https://creator.zoho.com/pashanoi/form/10
• Register for book lending service https://creator.zoho.com/pashanoi/form/203

Welcome to the American Center (AC) Hanoi web page! The AC is a free information center providing specialized, accurate and authoritative information  and programming on the United States for the Vietnamese public. We are accessible to all.  There are no fees for any of our services or programs.

The American Center maintains a rich reference collection in the form of books, e-books, journals, DVDs, iPads and electronic databases, as well as U.S. Government information resources many of which have been translated into the Vietnamese language.

The American Center also hosts interesting, engaging and fun programs throughout the month designed to help the public understand more about the U.S. and improve their English skills. Events include English clubs, topical speaker programs, debate clubs, book clubs, parties and much more.

Anyone with an ID card may enter the AC to use reference resources and to participate in events for the public. All AC services are free of charge and we welcome visits by government officials, academics, journalists, students, young professionals, the business community and any others interested in information about the United States.

Regulations for Patrons

Information Resources

• Books: The AC has about 3,300 book titles including general reference, American studies, English language skills building, international test preparation, fiction by American authors, and books in Vietnamese about the U.S. and U.S.-Vietnam relations.

• Periodicals: The AC subscribes to 45 paper journals and magazines, whose subjects range from the arts, languages, economics and business, to environment, science and technology to international relations, teen life and American culture.

• Publications in Vietnamese (print and online): The American Center provides translations of publications and documents on various topics originally developed and produced by the U.S. State Department and other USG agencies. Many of these publications are ideal for use as research materials and cover a wide range of subject areas including American government, economy, culture, environment, education etc.

• Online Databases: AC staff can access academic and commercial databases to conduct research upon request.
  >> Dow Jones/Factiva: Authoritative business news and information, plus sophisticated tools for searching and sharing.
  
  >> Lexis-Nexis: LexisNexis uniquely unites proprietary brands, advanced Web technologies and premium information sources. It provides customers with access to billions of searchable documents and records from more than 45,000 legal, news and business sources.
  
  >> USG Information Resources: AC can provide electronic and hard copies of USG reports, transcripts of speeches by USG officials, articles, and publications about American life, economy, global challenges, and international relations.
  
  >> Embassy Websites: Embassy websites contain information about the operations of the embassy, the visa application process, and current news and events. The Vietnamese website features translated USG reports, publications, and speeches by senior American officials.

Services to Vietnamese Government Officials, Academia, and Press

• Reference Update Service: This monthly service provides abstracts of articles (in English) on significant issues relevant to SE Asia. Full texts of the articles are available on request.  Reference Update also supplies links to the latest translated documents.

• Research and Reference Service: Information about the U.S. can be provided upon request by phone call, fax, mail, or e-mail.

• Selective Dissemination of Information: This e-mail outreach service sends the official texts of transcripts and articles from the U.S. government and various think-tanks as they are published.

Programs and Activities for the Public

• Events for the Public: A wide variety of events for the public are hosted by the AC throughout the year. Such events include speaker program, movie and documentary showing followed by discussion, book discussion, English language training session, American English Club, Debate Club, and contests.

• Book Circulation: The AC’s book collections (except English language learning and dictionary collections) are circulated to Hanoi residents and students.

• Reading on the Spot: All books and magazines are accessible on open shelving for ready access. Readers can make paper copies - 10-page per day - providing they observe relevant copyright laws. CDs accompanying test prep books may be borrowed to use on the AC ‘s computers and DVD players.

• Field Trips: The AC welcomes teachers, students and groups of researchers from area universities, high schools and other institutions to visit us.  Please contact us in advance to set up a program for your group. Field trips may include activities such as AC orientations, games, film shows, quizzes and/or a discussion with a native English speaker.

• eLibrary USA: A virtual library with 20 databases of authoritative and continually updated information, eLibrary USA is offered free of charge to regular AC patrons.

Computers and A/V Facilities

• Internet Access: 14 desktop computers with internet access are available to the public at the American Center. Patrons may print 10 pages per day of materials related to American studies or English language learning.

• iPads: 6 Ipads are available at our iPad bar, fully loaded with ebooks (in both English and Vietnamese), English language applications and games.

• CNN: Patrons can improve their English listening skills while getting the latest international news by watching CNN. 10 wireless headphones provide high-fidelity sound and the ability to move about the center.

• DVDs and Audiobooks: 350 DVDs of American movies and documentaries plus a dozen audiobook CDs can be used on our 20 portable DVD players. Patrons can also support their language learning by listening to stories on our PlayAway units.

Locations and Hours

Address: 1st Floor, Rose Garden Tower, 170 Ngọc Khánh, Hà Nội
Telephone: (844) 3850-5180, 6083, 6082, 6081
Fax: (844) 3850-5120
Email: irchanoi@gmail.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/usembassyhanoi
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/achanoi
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/achanoi

Hours: Monday: 13:00 - 17:30; Tuesday-Friday: 8:30-12:00 and 13:00-17:30; The AC is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and American and Vietnamese holidays.