The Phillis Wheatley American Center

The U.S. Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Michael A. Hammer, inaugurated the American Center within the Embassy’s compound, Tuesday, June 11, 2019. Formerly called Information Resource Center, the Center closed for a while for refurbishment purposes, until it is officially reopened on the date indicated; and from now on known as Phillis Wheatley American Center. It is located on 498, Ave Lieutenant Colonel Lukusa – Avenue facing the Engen station (not far from Citibank) in the Gombe township. The Center’s objective is to help Congolese people have a better understanding of the United States, its policy, culture and values. It also provides modern well-equipped services by using new innovative (ICT) technologies (Computers, IPad, Printers, and permanent connection).

Collection

The American Center’s Collection on American culture is made up of printed materials including over 4,000 books both in English and French as well as various electronic resources (Online Catalog; Full Search; Databases; e-Journals, Periodicals and Newspapers Locator; Virtual Library; Virtual Periodical Reading Room; and E-Book Virtual Library), covering the following themes:

• Bilateral USA-DRC relations;
• Democracy and the Rule of Law;
• Administration and management;
• American’s politics and Economics;
• American society and culture.

To highlight the U.S. Government’s interest in the Rule of Law, sustained through an honest and efficient judicial system and ethical, professional standards for journalists, the Center [IRC] devotes part of its collection and space for legal and professional journalists, which include an important collection on America’s and D.R. Congo’s penal and civil Codes, among other useful items.

Services

The American Center provides outreach, reference, information technology and other research services to Congolese seeking information about the United States and related subjects. The mentioned services are: Acquisitions & Procurement; Interlibrary Loans; Research and Instruction Services; Acquisitions Lists (Archived); Statistics, etc.

Outreach

The American Center offers selected Congolese public a bi-monthly Article Alert service, an announcement of new articles of leading U.S. magazines and newspapers concerning the topics above.  Users can select those they want to read, which will be reproduced and delivered to them.  The Embassy’s American Center also offers a Table of Contents service, providing full Table of Contents pages to occasional Department of State magazines, from which the audience can request selected articles. Additionally, the policy of Table of Contents is also shared with other institutions such as, Universities and Colleges; schools; NGOs and professionals as well.

Reference Services

The American Center’s Staff responds to requests for information about the United States by telephone, fax or electronic mails. They also respond to those who come to the Center, and help them identify the best sources available in the Center to assist in their particular researches.

Information Technology

Using the 21st century methods of research, the American Center offers to users access to new Information and Communication Technologies, including CDs, DVDs, databases and the Internet.  It also offers to patrons Internet training to help them leverage the new world of the Internet and the World Wide Web alike.

Other Services

Throughout the year, or in order to highlight special events, the American Center produces bibliographies of its collections relevant to a certain determined number of topics.  Patrons may also request specific bibliographies within the Center’s collection.

The “USINFO File” is a compendium of articles on the U.S. Foreign Affairs and selected domestic affairs, produced daily in English and French, by the Office of International Information Programs (IIP) of the U.S. Department of State, in Washington, DC.  Members of the public who are interested in the foreign policy of the United States can be directed to online Internet sites.

Target-audience

The American Center, by virtue of the focus of its collection, is open to professionals in the following areas:

• Government officials and civil servants;
• Legal professionals;
• Journalists;
• Academic instructors;
• Non-governmental organization and civil society organizations;
• Students from accredited educational institutions (Schools, Colleges and Universities).

Operation Days and Hours

Monday : 0830 – 1200 & 1300 – 1600

Tuesday : 0830 – 1200 & 1300 – 1600

Wednesday : 0830 – 1200 & 1300 – 1600

Thursday : 0830 – 1200 & 1300 – 1600

Friday : Closed to public and Reserved for Programs to be announced.

 Note: The Center is closed on Saturday, Sunday and on the American and Congolese holidays.

The American Center is the DRC’s Community portal to the United States of America.-

Contacts:

• Phone: +243 (0) 81-556-0151/152, Ext. 2161/2163/2168
• Fax: +243 (0) 81-556-0175
• E-mail: Kinshasa_AMCenter@state.gov