Training Sessions

The Interior Library offers regular training sessions to introduce Department of the Interior employees and others to its services and to the information sources it makes available, either on employees' desktops or in person. Training sessions are presented via webinar.

Additional training sessions will be posted as they are scheduled. Please check this page regularly for changes or updates.

To register for a future training session, please use our Training Session Registration Form. If the registration form does not work at your location, you may use the Library's contact form. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Interior Library by e-mail at library@ios.doi.gov or by phone at (202) 208-5815

Webinar recordings of recently completed Interior Library programs are available upon request. Please contact the Interior Library by phone at (202) 208-5815 or via the Library's contact form for more information.
 

Upcoming Programs

Introduction to the Congress.gov Website
Wednesday, July 30, 2025, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET

Congress.gov is a collaborative effort amongst the Library of Congress, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Government Publishing Office to provide an official website for federal legislative information. It is a free resource that provides searchable access to bill statuses and summaries, bill texts, member profiles, the Congressional Record, committee reports, legislative process videos, and committee profile pages. Researchers can search across all the content in the system, refine their results, quickly see the status of a bill on a timeline, and view member pages with sponsored and co-sponsored legislation. Additionally, the system is designed to dynamically fit any size screen being used, mobile phone, notebook, and/or computer. Please join librarians from the Law Library of Congress, for an introduction to the Congress.gov website, its current and planned resources, and tips on how to best navigate this valuable online legislative service.

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.
 

Diving Deeper Into Legal Research Potential: Advanced Online Legal Research Concepts 
Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET 

The goal of this LexisNexis course is to harness the potential of attorneys and those investigating the law to learn things about online legal research you didn’t think you could learn before. This program offers a deeper dive into online legal research. According to the model rules of professional conduct, attorneys need to maintain competency, and a component of maintaining competency is to keep abreast of the benefits and risks of relevant technology. By the end of this course, you will be made aware of advanced online legal research methods to harness your potential as a researcher and to maintain a standard of competency in the legal profession.   

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits will be available for DOI Solicitor's Office attorneys attending this program. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar or CLE credit information for this program.
 

Introduction to the American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971 Database 
Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET 

The American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971 database consists of a variety of collections from the National Archives and the Chicago History Museum, as well as other selected first-hand accounts on Indian Wars and westward migration. It features collections on American Indians in the nineteenth century, with a focus on interactions among white settlers, the federal government, and Indian tribes. Records of the Indian Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior highlight the tensions caused by the westward expansion of the post-Civil War years as well as events like the Modoc War that was fought in southern Oregon and northern California in 1872 and 1873. This training session, taught via webinar by a Clarivate trainer, will look at the materials found in the collection, review searching tips and hints, and point out additional support materials.

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.
 

Researching Legislative Histories and Statutes on Westlaw 
Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET 

Learn how to conduct legislative history research on Westlaw. In the first part of this class you will learn how to research the legislative history for a specific act. We will discuss where the act is codified and how to find legislative history for the act. In the second part of this class we will find the legislative history for a specific statute. In addition, we will see how to find links to other documents on Westlaw that cite to your statute including cases, secondary sources, regulations, and administrative decisions.  Part three will focus on researching statutes. See how Westlaw has made statutory research easier with links to relevant cases and relevant legislative history.  We will also review how Westlaw has made it easier to search for statutes, including by the popular name of the act. Part four will focus on researching state legislative history materials on Westlaw.  This program will be conducted by a Westlaw trainer. 

Please note: This program is only being offered as a simultaneous online webinar. Please contact the Library to obtain webinar information for this program.