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Since 2000, Washington, DC, has been one of the most selected cities for ALA Annual and Midwinter, having been the conference site three times. Chicago has hosted the most, of course, with six. New Orleans has had four in the past 20 years. Boston, Philadelphia, and Seattle have had three each. But considering that DC has more than 20 million visitors<\/a> every year\u2014and that many of us visited as students\u2014I\u2019m betting you\u2019ve been to the nation\u2019s capital before.<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t, there are some major attractions that I\u2019m sure you\u2019re interested in, and all kinds of tourist guides and lists to get you started. But if you\u2019ve been before\u2014or are looking for some library-specific ideas a bit off the beaten path\u2014we\u2019ve put together an \u201cinsiders\u2019 guide\u201d to some unique, lesser-known libraries in the capital area for you to visit during ALA Annual 2019<\/a>, June 20\u201325.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As residents of Washington, DC, we\u2019ve had a bit more time to explore. And we\u2019ve grouped our recommendations into three categories: federal libraries, private libraries, and libraries related to non-English materials.<\/p>\n One word of advice, regardless of where you plan to go, check the website or call ahead. Hours of operation for some of the smaller institutions can be unique, some require reservations, and even larger venues may change their times in the summer.<\/p>\n14 fun, specific, and surprising libraries to visit in DC during #alaac19 <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n As the nation\u2019s capital, DC is, of course, home to many national and federal libraries. Here are a few that we think don\u2019t get enough attention, or that might be of specific interest to librarian visitors.<\/p>\n While public and academic libraries often take center stage, there are some great private collections you can visit while in town, too.<\/p>\n If you have a personal or professional interest in non-English collections, there\u2019s a lot to do in the capital. Here are a few we think stand out.<\/p>\n Whatever you do and wherever you go in Washington, DC, during your ALA trip, we hope you have a great time and enjoy all of the wonderful professional and personal activities. And maybe we\u2019ll bump into each other at one of the OCLC events, too.<\/p>\nFederal libraries<\/h2>\n
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Private libraries<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/sup><\/li>\nNon-English-language libraries<\/h2>\n
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