This post was written by freshman Amanda Crowe, a Hatchet columnist.

Last week I was bragging to my friends and family back home about my library card. It wasn’t just your standard local library card though; this was a card from the Library of Congress. Most people will never get one, being as they don’t live in Washington, D.C., or need to use the library’s collection.

As GW students though, we are privileged to have access to such a revered institution. We have access to hundreds of thousands of books and documents that could help us write a research paper or develop our thesis. How many other college students (besides our District neighbors) can say that?

The Library of Congress isn’t the only resource that is available to us. We have museums with exhibits that can help us research topics like American history, evolution and biology, and art. These exhibits can certainly be more interesting than flipping through a dense academic book.

I have a friend who had to go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum to do research for a paper. Besides conducting research, she also found out a lot of interesting and not well-known facts about the Holocaust. The museum is so well put together that you forget that you originally went there for an academic reason.

I encourage students to take advantage of the museums in the area. Not only are they great for school, but they’re also a great way to spend a weekend afternoon. All of these museums and the Library of Congress are free admission.

When you get back from Spring Break, and the weather is nice, take a walk along the Mall and just stop by one or two. You might just find out that you love modern art at the Hirshhorn.