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Library and Information Services in Astronomy III
ASP Conference Series, Vol. 153, 1998
Editors: U. Grothkopf, H. Andernach, S. Stevens-Rayburn, and M. Gomez
Electronic Editor: H. E. Payne

Directory of Astronomy Librarians and Libraries on the World Wide Web

Uta Grothkopf
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2,
D-85748 Garching, Germany, e-mail: esolib@eso.org

 

Abstract:

The ESO Library maintains a directory of astronomy librarians and libraries which is available on the World Wide Web. It was created in order to foster information exchange and collaboration among astronomy librarians. In the following, the main characteristics including the type of information provided and search features are explained. The maintainers invite colleagues to submit new names and addresses and, if necessary, to correct existing entries so that the information provided is complete and up-to-date.

1. Introduction

The directory of astronomy librarians and libraries was created shortly after the LISA II (Library and Information Services in Astronomy II) conference held at the European Southern Observatory in May 1995. Based on the list of participants, a directory of approx. 100 names and addresses of astronomy librarians was created. The list has been available on the World Wide Web from the very beginning, although some features, for instance clickable links to homepages and a convenient search function, were added later.

2. Purpose

The address list was created in order to foster information exchange and collaboration among astronomy librarians.

Librarians need to provide information requested by users very quickly. As more and more observatory publications, newsletters and other information material issued by astronomical institutes become available on the World Wide Web, librarians often succeed in finding requested information directly on a library's or institute's Web page. However, the majority of information resources is not yet available electronically, and contacting a colleague at a library that might be able to fulfill our users' information requests is often the most efficient route. Today, the Internet allows us to contact colleagues almost instantaneously, regardless of different continents or time zones so that the information retrieval process can be accelerated remarkably.

The directory is available on the World Wide Web at

• http://www.eso.org/libraries/astro-addresses.html (see Fig. 1)

It is maintained by the ESO Library; updates are incorporated upon receipt of new or corrected information. As of April 1998, the directory contained 159 addresses of astronomy librarians and libraries worldwide. On average, the database was accessed 165 times per month during the past year.

The directory does not serve any commercial purpose, nor is it designed to serve as a mailing list, since there are other astronomical distribution lists, for instance ``Astrolib'', moderated by Ellen Bouton from NRAO (library@nrao.edu ) and the ``EGAL Bulletin'', maintained by Peter Hingley from the Royal Astronomical Society London (pdh@ras.org.uk ).

3. How to use it

Typically, entries in the directory consist of the following details:

$\bullet$ the librarian's name

$\bullet$ the institution's name and full postal address

$\bullet$ the library's telephone and fax number and its e-mail address

$\bullet$ the URL of the library's WWW page, if available

The directory is ordered alphabetically according to the last name of the librarian. The side bar of the Web browser can be used to scroll through the entire list. Alternatively, a search function is available. Any name or part of an address can be entered in the search field. Searches result in a list of addresses that match the query.

 

Figure 1: Directory of astronomy librarians and libraries

 

Figure 2: Address submission form

Approximately one third of the addresses in this compilation point to the library's (or, exceptionally, the institute's) Web page; the number is increasing. E-mail and World Wide Web addresses are active links. Clicking on e-mail addresses will activate the browser's mail program so that messages can be composed and sent instantaneously; Web pages of libraries can be accessed by clicking on the WWW address.

4. Please help us!

In order to provide up-to-date and complete information, we ask you to help us. If your name and address are not yet included in this database or if the details of your entry have changed, please use the form at

• http://www.eso.org/libraries/addressform.html (see Fig. 2)

to submit the correct data, or just send a message to Uta Grothkopf at esolib@eso.org . Please don't hesitate to submit details of a colleague's address who is not yet included in this compilation; we will ask him or her for permission before actually including the name and address in the directory.

Acknowledgments:

A big thank you to Ed Janssen, ESO Graphic Designer, for providing so much help with producing the poster displayed at the LISA III conference.

© Copyright 1998 Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Avenue, San Francisco, California 94112, USA