Information Resource Center
The Information Resource Center (IRC) is located at No. 24 Fourth Circular Road, Cantonment, Accra and serves the U.S. mission to Ghana by providing Ghanaians with timely, accurate information on American politics, news and opinions, government, society, history, and culture, and on U.S. policies affecting the bilateral relationship. The IRC is staffed with three trained information specialists who rely on a circulating and reference collection of over 3000 books, 50 print periodicals, 350 videos – including feature films -- and 35 CD-ROM. The IRC relies on a wide variety of on-line databases via the Internet, including full-text periodical databases such as Factiva, Lexis-Nexis, FirstSearch and Ebscohost. Through these databases the IRC has up-to-the-minute access to the full text of over 10,000 magazines, newspapers, wire services, and other information sources.
The IRC provides ten workstations to our patrons for on-line research. In addition to Internet resources, we offer access to commercial databases. Whether you are interested in an article about U.S. politics, wish to consult a bibliography of American Literature, or plan a trip to the United States, we stand ready to assist you in your search.
The IRC is open to the public Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m - 4:30 p.m. and Fridays 09:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon except on U.S. and Ghanaian official holidays. Queries are accepted by telephone, e-mail, or in person during working hours.
Additional Resources
Reference Collection: The IRC hosts a circulating and reference collection, which includes materials on U.S. institutions, American foreign policy, civil society, history, the arts, and media.
U.S. Government Documents: The IRC has access to an extensive range of U.S. government documents and publications, both in print and electronic formats.
Exhibits and displays: A selection of paper shows focused on U.S. themes are available for loan to institutions. Please check with the IRC for a complete list of paper shows.
Video Cassettes and Recordings: The IRC has a collection of videotape documentary films and feature films related to the United States. IRC users can view them on the premises. Group showings in the Embassy multipurpose room or elsewhere can be arranged. In addition, institutions can borrow videotapes for classroom use. Please note that, due to copyright restrictions, the IRC is not able to copy videotapes. Click here for list of feature films.
CD-ROM collection: In addition to print sources, the IRC has thirty-five full-text database on CD-ROM with a wealth of information on the United States. These CD-ROM Databases include "American Presidents," "Landmark Documents in American History," "African-American Cultural History," "American History Explorer," "U.S. Code," and "The American Revolution" to name a few. Click here for list of CD-ROMs.
Information USA: This CD-ROM is produced by the Department of State and presents an overview of the political system, economy, history, and geography of the United States with links to information that answer frequently asked questions about the U.S. Free copies of InfoUSA are available in the IRC on request. An online version is available on the Internet at http://usinfo.state.gov/infousa/index.html.
Services
Reference Services: Our information specialists are available to assist with the use of IRC resources. For example, they can help you locate materials for academic research, guide you in online searching, or provide access to databases about the United States. We accept queries in person, by phone, fax, or e-mail.
Outreach Service: The IRC has a variety of ways of delivering information about the United State to our clients. This includes the creation of specialized information packages in response to institutional queries and to support special programs. Please contact an IRC reference specialist to help determine what service is right for your needs.
Two of our services include our Table of Contents (TOC) Service and our Selective Dissemination of Information Service (SDI). TOC is available via e-mail to researchers, journalists, and Ghanaian government officials. Every month TOC subscribers receive copies of table of contents of selected periodicals. They may then request free of charge the full text of up to five articles listed in the table of contents. SDI automatically provides patrons with current U.S. information (articles, reports, and books) in their chosen field of interest. No fees are charged, and no requests are necessary once we are aware of your specific interests. Please contact the IRC if you are interested in either of these services.
IRC staff do not answer questions related to visa issues. Please consult those pages in the embassy website.
Contact Information
e-mail: ircaccra@state.gov
Fax numbers: 233-21-741692 and 233-21-741763
Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Fridays 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
