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The Portland District Library

The Portland District Library is the technical library for the Portland District and the Northwestern Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and has specialized, technical print and electronic resources representing our past and current civil engineering projects.

Our collection has a specific emphasis on scientific and engineering publications, PMP and PE examination preparation materials, research facilities' reports, environmental studies, project documents, as well as District and Division reports and histories. Our collection also includes law, professional development, fisheries and fish biology references.

Our mission is to retrieve and disseminate information, and provide access to information resources and services. We are committed to delivering the right information at the right price in the right format to the right people at the right time.

Library links

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 USACE Digital Library

The USACE Digital Library is our digital repository of published documents and images. It houses a significant amount of Portland District's publicly released documents, including reports, assessments, images, charts and other permanent files of record. Click here to go to the USACE Digital Library.

 Portland District Library Online Catalog 

Find Portland District Library resources by searching the Portland District's Online Catalog.

 USACE Digital Image Library

The USACE Digital Image Library is a searchable library consisting of photographs, illustrations, artwork, clip art, logos, maps, and posters from a majority of the Corps of Engineers' civil and military projects from around the world. 

 Engineer Research & Development Center
ERDC online publication and online catalogs Click here to go to Engineer Research and Development Center Publications 
 Library of Congress
Click here to go to Library of Congress

About our library

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 Services for Corps personnel

The Portland District Library provides library services to Portland Corps District and Division personnel. These services may include extensive research, assistance with electronic information resources, fact checking, current awareness services, interlibrary loan and document delivery, instruction and training, citation verification for publications, journal routing, and more.  E-mail CENWP.Library@usace.army.mil or call 503-808-5140 for assistance. 

Contractors working with the Corps have the option to use Library services for research, have the option to create temporary account to borrow material, and can make appointments to visit in person. Please contact the Library for more or have the COR confirm the status of the contract with the Librarian at CENWP.Library@usace.army.mil.

 Services for the public

The Portland District Technical Library will support and assist research and access to library materials by the general public as time permits during normal business hours. To visit the Portland District Library, call or e-mail for an appointment.  Provide a list of resources needed as our collection contains many restricted items and is not available for browsing by the public. Allow two working days to provide sufficient time for library staff to reserve a viewing area and retrieve items.

For individuals seeking research about family members or genealogical research please contact the USACE History Office.

Note some material in the Library’s collection has restricted access and may require additional approvals from internal personnel or a FOIA Request.

 Library access

The District Library is on the 10th floor of Block 300 in Downtown Portland, Oregon.  Access to the Library is available upon appointment or virtually, between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday – Friday. Please contact the District Library  if you have any questions.

 Contact us
Call the library at 503-808-5140 or send an e-mail to: CENWP.Library@usace.army.mil
 Catalog and electronic access
Electronic access to information about the Portland District’s library print and digital collections is available through the Technical Library Online Catalog at: http://a10127.eos-intl.net/A10127

Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers Library Program does not have a combined catalog for all Corps libraries.  Please check back after August 2012 for an update to this status.

 Interlibrary loans
The Portland District Library participates in lending and borrowing activities on a library to library basis, via the telephone, e-mail, fax, and regular mail. The library also participates in reciprocal activities through regional networks and OCLC.  The public and non-Portland District Corps employees must request materials through their academic, district, or local public libraries.
 Photocopying
The general public does not have access to photocopying. Library personnel will provide limited photocopying services at no fee on a case-by-case basis.

Related reference information

Relevant collections at the USACE Digital Library

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 Budget reports

Budget Reports:

The Chief of Engineers annual reports and budget justifications.

 Compilations of relevant laws

Compilation of Laws

Compilation of laws of the United States relating to the improvement of rivers and harbors.

 Fish and wildlife reports

Fish & Wildlife Reports

Technical reports and annual fish counts by the Portland District.

 Histories

Histories

Histories and heritage of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 Institute for Water Resources reports

IWR Reports

Documents and studies by the USACE Institute for Water Resources.

 Project management reports

Project Management Reports

Reports generated during the management of projects to include Reconnaissance reports, Feasibility reports, Environmental Assessments, Findings of No Significant Impact, Cost Share agreements, Definite Project reports, Records of Decision, and Maintenance memoranda.

 Waterways Experiment Station reports

WES Technical Reports

Reports done by the Waterways Experiment Station.

Histories of other U.S. Army Corps of Engineer units