American Spaces are encouraged to offer onsite access to eLibraryUSA resources to their visitors and program attendees.

In consultation with their U.S. embassy or consulate and their Regional Public Engagement Specialist (REPS), American Spaces may also offer remote access to eLibraryUSA to their members, visitors, and program attendees. Interested individuals may sign up for their individual account to access these resources on their personal devices.

How can I request an onsite account for our American Space?

To request an onsite account for your American Space, please follow this link: Request an Onsite Account.

Only officially recognized American Spaces are eligible for onsite accounts at this time. Upon approval, login credentials will be sent to the email address associated with the institution’s account.

Please note that no personal or individual user email account should be submitted for onsite requests. Only institutional email accounts are permitted.

eLibraryUSA account holders are required to adhere to the terms of use and agreements established by the Office of American Spaces in consultation with the database publishers. Misuse of accounts may result in suspension or termination of access.

Permitted Use:  Access to eLibraryUSA is permitted onsite at American Spaces and, optionally, online for visitors/members with an individual, authenticated eLibraryUSA account. American Spaces must be official partners of the United States Government in order to provide access to eLibraryUSA.

Individual eLibraryUSA Account:  If approved, eLibraryUSA accounts are for personal use and passwords may not be shared with anyone. Inactive accounts expire after one year.

Fees:  eLibraryUSA is a free resource exclusively available to American Spaces. Fees may not be charged to access eLibraryUSA.

Copyright:  Users are expected to follow the copyright rules of the United States when using eLibraryUSA. Printing and dissemination of multiple copies of articles are not allowable in most cases without permission from the author.

Printing and Distribution of Materials:  Information available on eLibraryUSA may be printed only for personal use and may not be distributed.

Public exhibition of eLibraryUSA resources is not permitted.

Any violation of eLibraryUSA terms of use will result in termination of the account.

In addition to databases, the eLibraryUSA website offers several resources for American Spaces staff. Visit the Additional Resources page to find eLibraryUSA promotional materials (including a flyer, logo, and graphic), search tutorials, and guides to using specific eLibraryUSA resources.

American Spaces staff can promote eLibraryUSA in a variety of ways. Here are some best practices to consider:

Workshops for Researchers: Invite university students and researchers to hands-on workshops that guide them in using databases specific to their studies and research. For example, American Spaces could offer a workshop about ProQuest Dissertations for graduate and doctoral students of American Studies or a workshop about Kanopy for film students.

Workshops for Educators: Offer teachers and professors hands-on workshops that guide them in using databases specific to their specialty. For example, American Spaces could offer a workshop about JStor for history professors, a workshop about Bookflix for primary school English teachers, or a workshop about PressReader for journalism professors.

Workshops for Librarians: Invite librarians to hands-on workshops that guide them in using databases to cultivate critical thinking and source evaluation. Librarians can then amplify their workshop experience by repeating the workshop for their library patrons.

Social Media: Promote eLibraryUSA via social media. OverDrive offers social media templates via Canva that you can edit to incorporate your logo and to suit your audiences’ needs and languages. Consider promoting a book, audiobook, magazine, or Kanopy film related to an observance, such as Hidden Figures for Women’s History Month or Sherman Alexie’s Reservation Blues for Native American Heritage Month.

Supports English language development: eLibraryUSA resources come in a range of languages, but the majority are in English. Select English-language books, films, and articles to discuss at English conversation clubs.

Supports Media Literacy: Discerning reputable, reliable information sources and developing a healthy, diverse media diet are essential for strong media literacy. During media literacy workshops, lead participants on a tour of eLibraryUSA databases to strengthen their ability to search for, evaluate, and select appropriate information sources. Ground News, a resource available through the Libby app, empowers readers to compare news coverage, spot media bias and think critically about current events in real time.

Supports Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) goals: eLibraryUSA is specially curated to support ICS goals, from STEM to human rights, from cybersecurity to entrepreneurship. eLibraryUSA resources can prepare audiences for upcoming American Spaces programs. For example,audiences could watch BPM ahead of a World AIDS Day program, read today’s issue of The New York Times to prepare for a current events trivia event, or read the latest issue of Forbes or Fast Company before attending a panel on executive leadership.