The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) on 9 September announced the reopening of the Navy Department Library on the Washington Navy Yard.
Established by a directive from President John Adams to Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert in 1800, the Navy Department Library serves as one of the few major military historical libraries accessible to the public. The Navy Department Library will have its 225th anniversary in March 2025.
The Library closed for four months as it underwent a move into a new facility and is now located on the first floor of building 46/67, near the intersection of N Street SE and Harwood Street SE.
“The entire Navy Department Library is now located within one physical space, which enables greater efficiencies in workflow,” said Dennis Wilson, branch head of the library. “The staff have access to retrieve materials from the Rare Book Room, from within the library space. In the previous location, both the Rare Book Room and Special Collections were in two separate areas outside of the library. The Rare Book Collection and Special Collections are now stored in a single, secured room, instead of two secured rooms on two different floors.”
The new facility is home to a collection of more than 114,000 book titles, 374,000 manuscripts, and 189,000 periodicals, with a particular emphasis on naval, nautical, and military history from around the world.
The Navy Department Library is open 0900 to 1500 Monday through Friday and can be reached at 202-433-4132. For more information, visit www.history.navy.mil/research/library/about.html.
—Petty Officer 1st Class Abigayle Lutz, NHHC
