Enhance your research with a placement of up to six months at the largest library in the world.
Opportunities now exist for current AHRC/ESRC-funded PhD students, research assistants and early career researchers (ECR) to undertake short-term placements at the Library of Congress (LoC) during the 2012/13 academic year, as part of the AHRC International Placement Scheme (IPS).
Due to the vast breadth and depth of their collections, The Library of Congress is not limited to those researching American studies. With more than 145 million items on 745 miles of bookshelves and 10,000 new items added each day, you are sure to find material relevant to your research. Previous AHRC LoC fellows have reported that their AHRC LoC placement was pivotal to their research, citing the great advantage of being able to access titles and collections not held elsewhere.
About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the USA's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. The Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations.
AHRC IPS fellows will be based at the John W Kluge Center, located within the LoC. The Kluge Center occupies inspirational study and meeting spaces within the Library's magnificently restored Thomas Jefferson Building, for scholars from across the world with a shared interest in exploiting the extensive collections held by the LoC.
Potential applicants can access the Library of Congress collection catalogue.
Information about the Library of Congress Classification outline.
LoC overview by LoC staff and previous AHRC LoC fellows
The AHRC recently held an event to launch the 2012 International Placement Scheme. You can view video presentations and/or the accompanying pdf presentations by LoC staff and previous AHRC LoC fellows:
Mary Lou Reker - Assistant to the Director of Scholarly Programs, Library of Congress:
- Video presentation
- Presentation (3.84mgb)
Dr Bill Booth - PhD student, Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London, 2009 AHRC LoC Fellow:
- Presentation (1,312mgb)
Dr Bohdan Piasecki - PhD student, University of Warwick, 2008 AHRC LoC Fellow:
- Presentation (843kb)
You can listen to a short podcast about his experience of LoC by Matthew Francis, one of the 2008/9 AHRC LoC Fellows.
You can also read a case study of Kate Harper, one of the 2007 AHRC LoC Fellows.
There are also various Facebook groups set up by previous AHRC LoC scholars. New scholars have found these useful as they offer an informal way of making contacts with AHCR LoC alumni who can offer advice on practical issues such as finding accommodation. View the 2011/12 scholars’ page.
There has even been a wedding as a result of the AHRC LoC scheme! See page 6 of the 
Library of Congress Staff Gazette (pdf 3.62mb).
About the AHRC International Placement Scheme
The AHRC IPS scheme runs annually. For the 2012/13 academic year, placements are available for eligible AHRC/ESRC* award holders in collaboration with four international institutions:
* ESRC award holders are eligible to apply to The Library of Congress (LoC), but not the other IPS institutions.
IPS fellowships are for three to six months (Sarai is capped at 3 months) and must take place between 1 October 2012 and 30 September 2013.
Successful applicants will receive a contribution towards their flights costs, plus a monthly allowance of £1000, in addition to their normal monthly stipend/salary paid as part of their existing AHRC/ESRC* award.
For the purposes of this scheme, we are using AHRC’s current definition of ECRs as AHRC-funded researchers who are either: within eight years of the award of their PhD or equivalent professional training; or within six years of their first academic appointment.
You can view an AHRC pdf on the IPS scheme:
- Presentation (54kb)
Applications must be submitted no later than 16:00 GMT on 15 March 2012.
Applications must be made online via the RCUK Je-S system , for which applicants require a Je-S account.
Application guidance notes (pdf 330kb), including detailed information on the scheme, institutions, eligibility, and how to apply.
Applicants should consult the guidelines for their chosen IPS institution before preparing their application.
A pdf version of the application form (pdf 80kb) is available for information only, but this form cannot be used to make an application.
If you have any queries not answered by the scheme guidance documents, please contact Allie Brown at the AHRC on ips@ahrc.ac.uk or telephone 01793 416074.