The Library Collection

The AHA Resource Center houses the most extensive collection of books and historic documents on health care administration available in the world. For over 75 years, the AHA Resource Center has gathered information on hospital and health services administration, with a collection of more than 35,000 volumes of both current and historical materials.

Encompassed in this collection are resources on the organization, design, and management of hospitals, health systems, health services, and integrated delivery networks, as well as the social and public policy issues related to community health status, access to health services, health care financing, and community accountability. In addition to a unique collection of books, the Resource Center also offers journals and newsletters, audiovisual products, and an extensive collection of reference materials. A catalog of Resource Center holdings is available online.

On-site access to the collection is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. central time, Monday through Friday. Registration is required for all visitors. At the time of registration, members must present documentation of personal membership with AHA or affiliation with an institutional member or associate member of AHA. Nonmembers may pay the access fee by cash, check, or credit card (American Express, MasterCard, or Visa).

The Resource Center has a variety of print and electronic information sources available on-site. Books published before 1990 and selected pre-1975 periodical volumes are stored in an off-site facility and should be requested at least 24 hours in advance to ensure their availability for on-site use. Access to historical resources requires an appointment. Additional information on the Resource Center’s services, service policies, and fees is available through the Resource Center web site.

The AHA Resource Center loans books to members of the American Hospital Association and to other libraries in the United States. The loan period is four weeks. Selected materials in the collection, including reference books and historical materials, are noncirculating.

Service fees for loans are as follows:

• AHA institutional members: $10.00 per item loaned
• AHA associate or personal members: $15.00 per item loaned
• Nonmembers (libraries only): $20.00 per item loaned

Requests for loans are normally filled within four calendar days. For times when speed is crucial, expedited services are available. Requests for super rush (same-day) service must be received by 12:00 noon central time; an additional fee of $10.00 per item for AHA members or $20 per item for nonmembers is applied to the basic loan rate. Requests for rush (next-day) service must be received by 4:00 p.m. central time; an additional fee of $5.00 per item for AHA members or $10 per item for nonmembers is applied. Availability of super rush and rush services may vary, depending on the material requested.

Books are shipped via Federal Express ground service and may be sent only to U.S. locations. There is no additional charge for use of an express delivery carrier if the requester’s account number is used; if not, an additional fee of $25 per request is applied.

Loans to AHA institutional members, associate members, or libraries may be invoiced; all others must be paid at the time of the loan request by credit card (American Express, MasterCard, or Visa). Borrowers assume financial responsibility for materials loaned to them. Bills for replacement costs, including a $75 processing fee per item, are issued if materials are damaged, lost, or not returned.

Materials published before 1990 and selected historical materials are stored off-site and require an additional 24 hours to process.