RAND is a nonprofit institute that conducts studies in the public interest. It is the original "think tank", created by the Air Force in 1946. Today, local, state, and federal government agencies as well as foundations and some fee-based services support the institute. RAND publications emphasize policy and planning in domestic and foreign affairs.

Subjects analyzed by RAND include:

The Library's collection of some 4,000 RAND reports are numbered with a special series designation and are housed on the 6th floor of the Central Library.  They are available for circulation to Dallas Public Library holders, or through Inter Library Loan.  Call 214-670-1468 to check for the availability of particular titles, or simply search the Library's online catalog.