1. Location of the reading room
International Organizations and Foreign Governments (IOFG) Publications reading room locates in F403 (NLC South Area).
2. Opening hours
Sunday to Friday 9:00—17:00
3. Scope of the collections
(1) publications from international organizations such as UN, EU, OECD, ADB, etc.;
(2) government publications from the United States and Canada;
(3) publications of RAND Corporation;
(4) serial microfiches from CIS, including IIS (Index to International Statistics), ASI (American Statistics Index), SRI (Statistical Reference Index), NSC (Current National Statistical Compendiums) and FR (Federal Register Monthly).
4. What subjects do the collections involve in?
The collections widely involved in activities of international organizations concerning of peace and security, economical and social affairs, population, labor, health, education and culture, industry, trade, investment and finance, fiscal and taxation system, energy and environment, aviation, meteorology, maritime affairs, telecom, criminal justice, etc.
5. Content of the CIS serial microfiches
(1) IIS (Index to International Statistics): provides current coverage of statistical publications from all major international intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). Each monthly IIS issue identifies IGO statistical publications; catalogs them, providing full bibliographic and availability information; describes the statistical contents; and indexes the information in full subject and geographic detail.
(2) ASI (American Statistics Index): provides data published by hundreds of executive, legislative, or judicial sources quickly and precisely. ASI covers every type of statistical publication (periodicals, series, special reports, annuals and biennials, etc.) regardless of whether issued by the Government Printing Office or an individual agency, whether in print or online, or whether offered to libraries through the government’s depository library program.
(3) SRI (Statistical Reference Index): identifies statistics contained in publications from a variety of U.S. private organizations and state government agencies. It is a collection of publications which are primarily statistical or contain significant amounts of statistical information. The publications originate from one of the following types of sources: Associations (professional and trade); Business Organizations; Commercial Publishers; Independent Research Organizations; State Governments; University Research Centers.
(4) NSC (Current National Statistical Compendiums): is a serial publication of a national government that contains yearly summary data for the country as a whole and presents important social, economic, and demographic data in a compact and easy to use format.
(5) FR (Federal Register Monthly): contain the full text of the Register, plus the corresponding Lists of CFR Sections Affected (which provide references from the Code of Federal Regulations to the Federal Register) and indexes prepared by the Office of the Federal Register.
6. Content of the RAND publications
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis in the United States. It is given priority to with military comprehensive strategic research institutions, engaged in the research projects in more than 1000 a year. Its research covers international affairs, national security, science and technology, education, health, law, infrastructure and transport, energy and environment, children and family, etc. Document types include books, monographs, technical reports, besides it includes Pardee RAND Graduate School thesis, working reports and research briefs, etc.
7. How to enter this reading room?
Readers aged 16 and above can enter this reading room by presenting reader's card of the NLC. Chinese citizen aged 16 and above also can enter this reading room by presenting their second-generation ID card.
8. How to contact?
Tel: +86 10-88545674
E-mail: wgcbwz@nlc.cn
9. Is computer available in this reading room?
There are computers for readers to use OPAC system and search related electronic resources online. Readers can also carry their own PC to access Internet with Wi-Fi service.
10. Does the OPAC system can be used in readers’ home or office?
Readers can log in the NLC website to search the catalogue via any computer connected with internet at anywhere.
11. What are the featured resources?
The featured resources include:
(1) conference documents of all activities since the founding of the United Nations;
(2) hundreds of statistic materials of various type;
(3) juristic documents, esp. on international law.
12. Since which year the NLC had been designated as the depository library of UN?
The NLC is one of the earliest depository libraries of the UN in China, which has been designated as the document depository library of the UN in 1947.
13. What are the theme categories of the UN publications?
The UN publications are divided in 17 categories traditionally. The main categories are：
I. General Information and Reference;
II. Economy;
III. Publications of the UN related organizations;
IV. Social Questions;
V. International Law;
VIII. Transport and Communications;
IX. Disarmament and Atomic Energy;
XI. Narcotic Drugs;
XIII. Demography;
XIV. Human Rights;
XVII. International Statistics.
14. What are the main legal publications of the UN?
Includes: The United Nations Treaty Series; United Nations Juridical Yearbook; UNCITRAL Yearbook; Yearbook of the International Law Commission; Reports of International Arbitral Awards; Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs; The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; Summaries of Judgments, Advisory Opinions and Orders of the International Court of Justice; etc.
15. How many treaties in the UN Treaty Series?
Treaties are the primary source of international law, and the Secretary- General is the main depositary of multilateral treaties in the world. The United Nations Treaty Series include 550 multilateral treaties, which are deposited with the Secretary-General. It also records more than 60,000 copies of treaty and over 111,000 related registration and publication practices.
16. How to search the collections of international organizations and foreign governments publications?
Open the OPAC system of the NLC http://opac.nlc.cn/ and click Multi-base Search under Advanced Search. When select databases, if you want to search Chinese documents, please choose “Chinese Bibliographic from Publications in the U.N.”; if you want to search foreign language documents, please choose “Foreign Government Document”. Then type key words in the Search box and get results of what you are looking for.
17. How to find documents not collected in this reading room?
Please fill the “Recommended Document List” on the Information Desk or in this reading room. You can also contact with the Document Center by calling +86 10-88545382 and get related materials through interlibrary loan service.