Posted by Navy Library in
The Navy Department Library traces its roots to a letter dated 31 March 1800 from President John Adams to Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert directing him to establish a library that would contain “the best writing…on the theory and practice of naval architecture, navigation, gunnery….”
From that beginning, the Library’s collections have grown to 156,000 books and tens of thousands of manuscripts, periodicals and government documents, with an emphasis on naval, military, and nautical history including foreign navies. The Library is home to the most comprehensive collection of historical literature on the United States Navy.
It’s mission:
To enhance and enrich naval and maritime knowledge-based heritage by preserving, acquiring, and providing access to pertinent books, manuscripts, and other print and non-print materials for the benefit of the Navy and the nation.
To increase and foster that heritage by providing access to information using both traditional and non-traditional formats and sources.
