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Major new research tools in the History of Physics, Astronomy, Geophysics and related fields (Center for the History of Physics, American Institute of Physics) 

Forwarded to STHC-L at Joe Anderson's request. -- Russell Johnson

--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Wed, 01 Nov 2000 11:41:03 -0500
From: Joe Anderson <janderso@aip.org>
Subject: Major new research tools in the History of Physics, Astronomy,	
Geophysics and related fields


The Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics
announces two important resources for researchers: a more powerful online
version of the INTERNATIONAL CATALOG OF SOURCES (ICOS) for History of
Physics and Allied Sciences and the brand new PHYSICS HISTORY FINDING AIDS
WEB SITE.

THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOG OF SOURCES (link from
http://www.aip.org/history):
  A unique resource for scholars, the International Catalog of Sources
(ICOS) for History of Physics and Allied Sciences lists and briefly
describes archival materials, such as unpublished correspondence and
institutional records and oral histories, worldwide. The catalog now
contains records for over 7,000 collections, and our new online version is
more reliable and allows more sophisticated queries, including boolean
searches. Many science historians and other scholars check ICOS routinely
for resources in physics and related fields, especially when planning new
research.

What information goes into the ICOS?    We list information about papers of
scientists working in physics and related fields, such as astronomy,
acoustics, optics, geophysics, medical physics, and the other fields covered
by the AIP's Member Societies.  We also list information on records of major
institutions such as academies of science, academic physics departments, and
research laboratories. Our period of interest is chiefly from about 1890 to
the present, but we include 19th century collections of  interest and even
earlier ones of major importance. In addition to collections that are in
libraries and archives, the ICOS has information on papers in private hands
and information on papers of significant scientists that have been
destroyed.  The ICOS records provide a concise description which lists the
name of the collection and usually includes the span dates, kinds of
materials (correspondence, notebooks, minutes of meetings, etc.), and other
information.  In addition, records are thoroughly indexed (names and
subjects); topical index terms are assigned as specifically as possible to
enable focused searching.

How can I get information from the ICOS?   The ICOS database is available
online through our new Web catalog. The Center's Niels Bohr Library staff
will also search the ICOS database for any researcher on request (send an
inquiry by mail, fax, or e-mail). In addition, the majority of the existing
ICOS records have been uploaded into the AMC file of RLIN's bibliographic
database, and uploads of new information will continue periodically.

How can I add new information to the ICOS?  The Center is always on the
lookout for new collections to add to the ICOS, and we learn about new
materials through annual surveys of major science archives, information from
researchers, and other sources.  We strongly encourage users to contact us
about new resources that they find. 

THE PHYSICS HISTORY FINDING AIDS WEB SITE (http://www.aip.org/history/ead):
This is a brand new resource that the AIP History Center has created in the
past year with a consortium of nine other leading science repositories and
with financial support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.  The
Physics History Finding Aids Web Site, which is a continuation and expansion
of the ICOS, is the largest subject-based consortium of finding aids on the
Web. Researchers can use it to get detailed information on a wide variety of
important resources in 20th century American science and science policy. 
The more than 60 collections now represented cover a broad variety of fields
centered around physics, astronomy and geophysics, with information on some
of the most significant topics in modern science. The finding aids describe
major collections at the ten institutions that are currently members of the
consortium:  American Institute of Physics, California Institute of
Technology, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Northwestern University, Rice University, University of Alaska-Fairbanks,
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Iowa, and University
of Texas-Austin.  We're making plans to expand the database to include more
repositories and more collections.

What's in a finding aid?  Finding aids usually contain an introductory
essay describing the main features and subjects of the collection and a
listing of box and folder contents, sometimes running to hundreds of pages.
They are fully encoded in SGML-EAD format, the emerging archival standard. A
search engine allows users to search across the full texts (or, if
preferred, only the introductions or other portions) of the entire set of
finding aids. Having  identified a particular finding aid, users can call up
its text and search it using their own browser, and download and print out
parts of interest.  In addition to locating relevant collections, access to
the full finding aids facilitates advance preparation and makes visits to
archives more efficient.  In some cases it may even allow users to get
materials relevant to their research by correspondence without the expense
of a visit.

________________________________________________________________________________

Both the International Catalog of Sources (ICOS) and the Physics History
Finding Aids Web Site are created and maintained by the Center for History
of Physics at the American Institute of Physics.  For access to these
resources, and to learn about our other programs and resources, visit our
Web site at http://www.aip.org/history, or contact us at: Center for History
of Physics, American Institute of Physics, One Physics Ellipse, College
Park, MD 20740.      Phone: (301) 209-3177,       Fax: (301) 209-0882,      
E-mail: chp@aip.org        


http://www.aip.org/history 

--- End Forwarded Message ---
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