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Home > 125th > Articles > Hidden Treasures | May 07, 2009 | |||
The USGS Library -- A National Resource By Nancy L. Blair and R. Lee Hadden Congress established the U.S. Geological Survey Library in the 1879 legislation that founded the U.S. Geological Survey. The Act decreed that copies of reports published by the Survey should be given to the library to exchange for publications of state and national geological surveys and societies. The USGS Library built from this notable and cost-effective exchange program, plus purchases and gifts, has become the world's largest collection of earth science information. The Library is housed in four collections across the country: Reston, VA; Denver, CO; Menlo Park, CA; and Flagstaff, AZ. The Library at Reston alone houses more than 12 miles of bookshelves and over 25 tons of maps. The total collection in the four libraries includes more than 1.2 million books, 8,500 different journal titles, 900,000 maps, and 430,000 photographs, plus microforms, pamphlets, field record notebooks, video cassettes, and digital media. The Library responds to current and anticipated subject interests of USGS researchers, such as those in ecology, health, and biology, while maintaining its heritage collection of core science publications dating back to the 17th century. The heritage collection provides a unique historical record of the progress of natural science. The Library supports the research of the Department of the Interior and other government agencies, universities, and professional communities. Libraries throughout the world, including the largest and most renowned, borrow from the Library's unique collection. In a recent six-month period, the USGS Library loaned to over 750 libraries. These libraries were in every state and in 37 foreign countries. Although not defined by Congress as a national library, the USGS Library is the premier national collection of geologic and hydrologic publications, supplementing earth science collections in the Nation's large libraries in major universities and government agencies. Besides providing resources for scientific investigations, the USGS Library's multi-disciplinary collection provides access to geographical, technical, and historical literature in paper and electronic formats for the general public and industry. Library users bring their questions to the library daily, in person or by request help by phone or e-mail, and expert librarians assist them in using the wealth of well-organized information to find answers. During a century of collecting, the Library has acquired many treasures such as the George F. Kunz Collection. George F. Kunz was a former employee of the USGS, a vice-president of Tiffany & Co., and one of the world's preeminent gem experts at the time of his death in 1932. The Kunz collection includes rare books on gemology, the lapidary arts, the folklore of gemstones through history, and archival gem trade records--including the original provenance of the Hope diamond. Another unusual acquisition was the group of books and maps known as the Heringen Collection. These military geology texts and maps were looted by the Nazis from European libraries, including Russia, and hidden in a potash mine in Heringen, Hesse, Germany. At the end of the World War II they were transported by the U.S. military to the United States and are now part of the USGS Library. The Library map collections have provided invaluable aid to authorities and scientists in times of disasters such as the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch (which hit Central America in 1998), the California Northridge earthquake in 1994, and worldwide volcanic eruptions. In times of crisis, such as military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq or major fires in the nation's forests, planners use the historic topographic and thematic map collections to study terrain and geologic conditions. To make available maps on crucial areas on short notice, the USGS Library has needed to collect maps from all parts of the world for many years. To have the materials "just in time," for emergency response, the USGS Library had to have the maps "just in case."
Here are some examples of how the USGS Library has served its patrons:
Maps, photographs, and literature in the USGS Library have provided evidence to solve boundary disputes and water rights litigation, to trace geographic names, and to research natural and man-made changes in an area over time. Besides the four libraries of the library system, the USGS has more than 20 collections and small libraries located within science centers across the nation. Some of these are biology libraries in Columbia, MO; Boise, ID; Fort Collins, CO; Kearneysville, WV; Lafayette, LA; Jamestown, ND; and Laurel, MD; and the Geography Library at EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD. These libraries have specialized collections focusing on the research interests of local scientists, such as aquatic biology, raptors, remote sensing, and wetlands. The library staffs provide services tailored to the needs of the research groups at each location. Besides the four libraries of the library system, the USGS has many specialized libraries located in science centers across the nation. These libraries have collections focusing on the particular research interests of local scientists, such as aquatic ecology, raptors, remote sensing, wildlife biology, and invasive species. The library staffs provide services tailored to the needs of the research groups at each location. Fourteen of these libraries and the library system have formed the USGS Library Consortium (see sidebar). During the 125th anniversary year of the USGS and for years to come, the USGS Library will continue to provide access to historic reports, maps, and photos and the latest electronic information resources to USGS researchers and others who need its great collections. The USGS Library homepage, at http://library.usgs.gov/, provides access to more information on the USGS libraries, the online catalog, and links to digital resources, such as the USGS library photographic archive. USGS Libraries: Connecting Resources for Integrated Science USGS science is used by many segments of society in natural resource management and decision-making. When the scientists themselves need access to science information in planning and conducting their work, the USGS offers them a valuable resource service that is also a considerable time-saver: the USGS Libraries. The USGS Library Consortium formed in 2000 to provide a framework for communication and sharing of resources and expertise among the USGS Libraries. The USGS-LC members are committed to providing the highest quality library and information services for USGS employees when and where they are needed. Through their collective resources and their ongoing commitment to quality, USGS-LC librarians ensure that they can continue to meet the science information needs quickly and efficiently for USGS employees. For Further information on the USGS-LC please e-mail the USGS-LC Steering Committee at libraryconsortium@usgs.gov or call Julia Towns at 573-876-1853. USGS Library Consortium includes the following libraries and subject coverage: USGS Library System (see article) USGS Science Center Libraries: EROS Data Center Library, Sioux Falls, SD Forest and Rangeland Science Center, Boise, ID Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center Library, Flagstaff, AZ Great Lakes Science Center, Ann Arbor, MI Latin American Archive & Reference Library, Tucson, AZ Leetown Science Center, Kearneysville, WV National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, LA National Wildlife Health Center Library, Madison, WI Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Library, Jamestown, ND Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Library, Laurel, MD Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI USGS Data Library & Archive, Woods Hole, MA |
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