Contact Information
Phone: 401-841-3052 or 401-841-4551
DSN: 841-3052
FAX: 401-841-1140
E-mail: libref@usnwc.edu
History
The Naval War College Library has always been central to the Naval War College's educational and research programs. Its origins can be traced to a requisition for library books in August 1885 for use by the first class assigned to the War College. Nineteen years later in 1904, a building was erected to house the library which was then named the Alfred Thayer Mahan Library. In 1905, the first librarian was appointed. Housed in Hewitt Hall since 1976, the current library is named in honor of the late Rear Admiral Henry Effingham Eccles.
Academic Collection
The academic collection, containing more than 250,000 items in paper format and an additional 450,000 items in microfiche/card/film, is located in the main library in Hewitt Hall. Hewitt Hall houses the reference collection, the periodical collection (1,700 titles of which 700 are current subscriptions), the microform collection, the government depository collection, the restricted (rare book) collection, and the general collection. The focus of the collection is on naval and military science, history and strategy, management, economics, international relations, international law, oceanography, and political science.
Classified Library
The Classified Library is contained within the main library and requires a security clearance for entry. This library contains more than 40,000 titles and more than 62,000 discrete items in paper format.
Naval Historical Collection
The Naval Historical Collection (NHC) is housed in Mahan Hall and contains more than 300 manuscript and archival collections.
This library is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government documents.
Public access to the government documents collection is guaranteed by public law.