National Security Research Center

The Lab ensures our national security. Achieving that mission starts with the National Security Research Center.

The National Security Research Center is the classified library at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The NSRC traces its lineage to the technical library formed by J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project. We are part of the Lab's fascinating history. Today, the NSRC is one of the largest scientific / technical libraries in the federal government with collections that number in the tens of millions. It also houses unclassified collections, including photos, related to the people, events, and scientific achievements that make up our nation's nuclear history.

The NSRC is staffed by an expert, highly trained team of librarians, archivists, historians, and publications specialists, all of whom support researchers at Los Alamos and other National Nuclear Security Administration sites, as well as partners in the Department of Defense.

Brye Steeves is the director of the NSRC.

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In early September 2023, the NSRC announced the online release of the three-part documentary “Oppenheimer: Science, Mission, Legacy.” The film, produced by the NSRC and based on rare photos, documents, and footage from its unclassified legacy collections, highlights the impetus for the Manhattan Project’s creation and Los Alamos National Laboratory’s continuing mission.

Watch the documentary here:

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