The American Center

The American Center promotes Swazi-American understanding by providing authoritative and current information on topics that are central to bilateral relations. Using a variety of resources, both traditional (books and periodicals) and state-of-the-art (databases and the Internet), the Center's experienced staff helps patrons with a variety of inquiries, particularly those pertaining to American society and U.S. policy, and to such subjects as democratization and governance, commerce, and HIV/ AIDS. The Center is the research and reference service of the Embassy's Public Affairs Section.

Internet

At the core of the American Center are six online Internet workstations. Each provides hard-wired and uninterrupted access to the worldwide web. To help patrons make the most of the Internet, the Center's staff conduct regular workshops - recent sessions have focussed on the African Growth and Opportunity Act and advanced Internet research for journalists. The library staff are generally available to provide any assistance that a patron may require.

DATABASES: The Center's subscription to online and CD-ROM databases equips its staff to provide unique services to its patrons. The Center's databases include:

• EBSCO, FIRST SEARCH, and PROQUEST: Full-text articles from thousands of American journals and newspapers.
  
  
• GALE NET: Directories of associations and organiza-tions, together with telephone and telefax numbers.
  
  
• LEXIS-NEXIS and LEGISLATE: Legal databases covering American legislation at the national and State levels, as well as Supreme Court reports.
  
  
• PDQ: Full access to U.S. policy documents.

Books And Periodicals

Books: The Center's collection of nearly 2,000 volumes focuses on American society and U.S. policy. Reference volumes excepted, books within the collection are available for circulation.

Periodicals: The Center subscribes to nearly 75 journals and newspapers, ranging from popular magazines (such as Ebony, Esquire, and the New Yorker) to newsmagazines (e.g., Newsweek, Time, U.S. News and World Report) and journals of opinion (e.g., Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, National Review). The collection also focuses on such issues of bilateral interest as democracy and good governance (e.g., Journal of Democracy and Congressional Digest), economic reform (e.g., Business Weekly, Forbes, Fortune), and HIV/AIDS (e.g., American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care and AIDS Patient Care and STDs). Finally, the collection maintains a core of academic journals, particularly in Americana, the humanities, and the social sciences.

Books: The Center's collection of nearly 2,000 volumes focuses on American society and U.S. policy. Reference volumes excepted, books within the collection are available for circulation.

Services

Commercial Services. The Center maintains a collection of books, magazines, and reference materials expressly for use by the Swazi business community. Much of the commercial collection is in CD-ROM, database, or Internet form. Included are:

• STAT.USA: Economic, trade, and business information from the United States.
  
  
• THOMAS REGISTER OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS: One of the most widely-used and comprehensive lists of U.S. manufacturers.
  
  
• AMERICAN EXPORTERS REGISTER: The largest online international business-to-business directory of industrial companies.
  
  
• JOURNAL OF COMMERCE DATABASE OF U.S. IMPORTERS AND U.S. EXPORTERS: Contains 55,000 confirmed active-traders.

WHILE USING THE CENTER

Each member is responsible for all materials borrowed. Membership cards are not transferable to persons other than the member.

Books may be borrowed from the Center for fourteen days. Patrons may borrow two books at a time. Periodicals, newspapers, and reference materials do not circulate.

Please consult a Center staff member before using photocopying or printing facilities.

Please refrain from loud talking, eating, drinking or smoking while in the Center.

The Center is open to the public Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 8:30 am - 5:00 pm and 8:00 am - 1:30 on Fridays. 

Membership: One year renewable membership is free and open to all persons, aged 18 and above, who are residents of Swaziland.