DC History & Local Area Studies: Monuments & Memorials

Researching Monuments, Memorials and Museums in Washington, D.C.

 Selecting a Topic

The Dorling Kindersley (DK) Travel Guide to Washington, D.C. is shelved with the travel guides on the first floor of the American University Library. General guidebooks on Washington, D.C. are shelved with the local history reference books and in the stacks in call numbers F191 through F205.  General books on D.C. are on the second floor in F191 – F205.  Books on specific monuments, memorials and museums may also be shelved with the art and architecture books on the lower level, or in some cases with history or the social sciences.  Use the WRLC catalog to find the call numbers.

Finding Materials in the WRLC catalog

From the AU Library’s homepage under RESEARCH, click on SEARCH THE CATALOG.  Select the ADVANCED SEARCH option. In the first “Search for:” box, enter your topic (e.g. National Gallery of Art or Jefferson Memorial or Textile Museum) and from the pull down menu, select “as a phrase.” Leave “Keyword anywhere” in the “Search in:” box.  In the second “Search for:” box, type Washington D.C. (use the periods, but no comma) Select “all of these” from the pull down menu.

The book, Washington Sculpture :A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capital  by James M. Goode, is the single most useful book on this topic.

George Washington University’s Gelman Library has an extensive collection of Washington, D.C.-related materials.  Items marked “Special Collections” are for reference only (they may not be borrowed.)  Check GW’s website for access procedures.

The Library’s homepage as a resource

This DC History page has recommended DATABASES for locating journal articles, useful WEBSITES, selected PRINT RESOURCES (books) relating to Washington, DC., NEWSPAPERS  & MAPS.

Depending on the topic, useful databases may also listed in the ART Subject Guide. 

The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.’s journal Washington History and its precursor, Records of the Columbia Historical Society are available full text in the database JSTOR. Determining which database to search will depend on the topic selected.  Ask the Reference Librarians at the Reference Desk for assistance in selecting and searching the databases.  You can call 202 885-3238, IM or email research@american.edu.

Searching the Web

A list of recommended websites is on the library’s homepage under SUBJECT GUIDES.

When using Google, use quotation marks around your topic (“Lincoln Memorial”) and type Washington DC.  Keep in mind that the most reliable sites will have the file extensions .org [organization], .edu [educational], .mil [military] and .gov [government].  The National Park Service maintains excellent websites (http://nps.gov) for many of D.C.’s memorials.

Additional Resources

The D.C. Public Library’s Washingtoniana Division of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library (MLKML) is devoted to materials about Washington, D.C.  MLKML is currently closed for renovation - check out the DigDC website.  When it reopens...  MLKML is conveniently located across the street from the 9^th St. Exit of the Gallery Place stop on the Red Line.   The library’s website, www.dclibrary.org, gives a description of the collection and their hours of operation.  All of Washingtoniana’s materials are for reference only.  Some titles may be available for check out in the History Division.  An AU student may get a D.C. Public Library card by presenting any valid photo ID and a piece of stamped mail showing a local address.

The Historical Society of Washington, DC, located at Mt. Vernon Square, has an excellent research library. http://www.historydc.org/Do_Research/research.asp The Library of Congress also has a Local History & Genealogy Reading Room.  A reader ID card may be required:  www.loc.gov/rr/readerregistration.html