About the CIA Library
The CIA’s library has served as a sanctuary and valuable resource to the Agency workforce for decades. The library is a space for collaboration, peace of mind, and the occasional board game with colleagues.
The CIA Library, which is available to Agency personnel, was renovated in 2022 in response to feedback and the needs of CIA officers. The remodeled space was designed to highlight opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and creativity, while meeting the technological and logistical requirements of the current workforce. It offers access to video teleconferencing (VTC), a large conference room, a small amphitheater, and private areas for meeting and working.
One of the library’s enduring features is the Historical Intelligence Collection (HIC). The HIC first became available to officers in 1956. Then-Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles envisioned the HIC to serve members of the Intelligence Community just as law libraries serve lawyers. It is primarily an open-source library dedicated to the collection, retention, and exploitation of material dealing with the intelligence profession.
Much like libraries across the country, the CIA Library has adopted an increasingly digital model over the last two decades. Librarians focus services on facilitating access to the digital collections of commercial data, including subscriptions to technical and business newspapers, journals, periodicals, and resources. Apart from the HIC, books are available through eBook platforms. The library also participates in Inter-Library Loan Service of circulating items with other government and public libraries.
