American Center

American Center Services

The American Center is sponsored by the Information Resource Center of the
American Embassy, and located on the campus of the Lao-American College in Vientiane, Lao, P.D.R.

Trained Staff: The American Center staff can help you find answers to questions about the United States and its people, culture, economic and political systems, and foreign policies.

Internet Access: The American Center has eight computers for quick Internet access to websites about the United States and issues of international concern.

Books

Over 1,000 books in the following subject areas:

• General Reference Books
• Reference Books About the United States
• American History
• Contemporary American Society
• American Government and Political Science
• Democracy and Human Rights
• American Foreign Policy and Military
• American-Laos Bilateral Relations
• Southeast Asia
• Biographies of Prominent Americans
• General Nonfiction
• American Economics, Trade, and Business
• General Nonfiction
• American Geography and Travel
• Science, Technology, Environment, Health
• American Arts and Performing Arts
• American Literature

Periodicals

The American Center has subscriptions to almost 50 periodicals, magazines, and news-papers on such subjects as:

• Art and Architecture
• Economics and Trade
• Public Policies
• Environment, Science, and Technology
• Information Technology
• Education
• International Affairs
• American Society and Values

Article Alert

Monthly collections of articles from leading American publications designed to keep you up-to-date on current issues and concerns in the United States. Members can sign up to receive these in the following subject areas by e-mail or fax:

• Regional Security
• Economics and Trade
• Democracy and Human Rights
• Global Issues and the Environment
• Media, Communications, and Information Technology
• U.S. Politics, Society and Culture

Electronic Journals

The American Center has print copies of Electronic Journals that can also be accessed through the Internet in the following subject areas:

• U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda
• Economic Perspectives
• Issues of Democracy
• Global Issues
• U.S. Society and Values

Washington File

A daily collection of documents about U.S. policies affecting the East Asia-Pacific region, including texts of speeches by President Bush and other senior officials.

Online Databases

The American Center subscribes to the following online databases:

• Dow Jones Interactive
  Provides full text of current news from the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and 2,800 publications from around the world.


• Federal News Service
  Federal News Service provides verbatim transcripts of speeches by senior American officials and briefings at the White House, State Department and other government agencies.


• LEXIS-NEXIS:
  Lexis offers full texts of U.S. federal and state legal and regulatory materials, state court materials, treaties, and legal periodicals, and texts from over 100 newspapers, wire services, news and business magazines.


• UMI ProQuest Direct
  UMI provides summaries or full text of articles from over 5,000 publications, with many articles available in full text and full image format.

Programs

The American Center hosts weekly programs such as movie and documentary showings, book discussions, and lectures on current events in the United States.

Education Advising Materials

The Center contains dozens of books and other materials to help you find information on courses of American universities and colleges, courses of study, scholarships, and life in the United States.

English Study Materials

The Center has books and CDs to help you prepare for English tests such as Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Research/Reference Service

Information provided upon request about U.S. society and foreign policy via phone calls, fax, mail, and e-mail. Visits can be arranged by appointment.

SDI (Selective Dissemination of Information

Members of the American Center can sign up to receive materials (journal articles and online information) on topics related to their professional interests by e-mail or fax.

U.S. Embassy Home Page: Located at http://laos.usembassy.gov the American Embassy website provides information on recent Embassy events and public services, and links to official sources of information about the United States and its policies, including the full text of speeches by senior American officials.

Hours:
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.—8:00 p.m.
Saturday 8:00 a.m.—Noon
Sunday Closed