Training Sessions

The Interior Library offers regular training sessions to introduce Department of the Interior employees and others to its services and to the information sources it makes available, either on employees' desktops or in person. Training sessions are presented via webinar.

Additional training sessions will be posted as they are scheduled. Please check this page regularly for changes or updates.

To register for a future training session, please use our Training Session Registration Form. If the registration form does not work at your location, you may use the Library's contact form. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Interior Library by e-mail at library@ios.doi.gov or by phone at (202) 208-5815

Webinar recordings of recently completed Interior Library programs are available upon request. Please contact the Interior Library by phone at (202) 208-5815 or via the Library's contact form for more information.
 

Upcoming Programs

Virtual Orientation to the Department of the Interior Library
Thursday, May 8, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET

The Department of the Interior Library provides a full range of professional reference and research services, available to Interior Department employees in both the Washington, DC, area and nationwide. The collections include Departmental publications, as well as related books, journals, electronic databases and other resources that support the mission of the Department, its agencies, and bureaus. Research materials in subject areas such as American history, Native American culture, biology, botany, natural resources, lands management, and water management can be found within its 175,000 print titles and online resources. Please join the Department of the Interior Library staff for a virtual review of these materials as well as other services available from the Library.  

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.
 

Topical Research on Westlaw - Environmental Law
Thursday, May 29, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET

This Westlaw instructor-led course builds upon and expands legal research skills using Westlaw to delve into Environmental law. The focus will be finding case law, statutes, regulations, and administrative documents, as well as secondary sources, specific to the environment. This class will highlight the variety of ways environmental law research can be performed using Westlaw, encompassing the breadth and depth of these resources, along with a review of the best techniques to effectively and efficiently conduct searches using those materials. Included will be an explanation of the power of Westlaw’s legal search engine, WestSearch, to return the most relevant results, and the importance of KeyCite in verifying the status of documents on Westlaw.  

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits will be available for DOI Solicitor's Office attorneys attending this program. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar or CLE credit information for this program.
 

Researching Native American Records at the National Archives
Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) houses vast amounts of material related to Native American cultures, histories, and individuals. These holdings include historical documents, photographs, audio recordings, and other materials created by Federal agencies, Federal courts, and the U.S. Congress from the eighteenth century to the present. Given the volume of material related to Native Americans in NARA's holdings, locating and accessing particular records can seem daunting. However, NARA has multiple tools available to help researchers identify and access records online. Rose Buchanan and Adam Berenbak, Archivists with the National Archives and Records Administration, will provide an overview of these tools and discuss strategies for searching for Native American records at NARA.

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.
 

Introduction to the U.S. Congressional Serial Set Database
Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET

The single most important series of American government documents, the U.S. Congressional Serial Set is an incomparably rich source of primary and secondary material on the people, issues and events of the United States.  Spanning nearly two centuries of American and world history, this monumental collection—the Reports, Documents and Journals of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives—covers myriad subjects ranging from slavery in Antebellum America and the expansion of the American West and the impeachment of presidents to the founding of the United Nations, public and private legislation, and more. Presenting every cameral publication from the 15th through 103rd Congress, the Readex U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994, provides more than 370,000 individual documents originally bound in 14,000 volumes. This class will introduce attendees to this valuable online resource and provide them with helpful hints for searching the collection. This program will be conducted via webinar by a Readex trainer.

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.
 

Introduction to the Congress.gov Website
Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET

Congress.gov is a collaborative effort amongst the Library of Congress, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Government Publishing Office to provide an official website for federal legislative information.  It is a free resource that provides searchable access to bill statuses and summaries, bill texts, member profiles, the Congressional Record, committee reports, legislative process videos, and committee profile pages.   Researchers can search across all the content in the system, refine their results, quickly see the status of a bill on a timeline, and view member pages with sponsored and co-sponsored legislation. Additionally, the system is designed to dynamically fit any size screen being used, mobile phone, notebook, and/or computer.  Please join librarians from the Law Library of Congress, for an introduction to the Congress.gov website, its current and planned resources, and tips on how to best navigate this valuable online legislative service.

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.