"Nature's Gems"- American wild flowers in their native haunts. Photo by G.S. Appleton.

The USGS Libraries Program has joined the Biodiversity Heritage Library, a consortium of natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitize and make accessible the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections. USGS Libraries have collections that can support research in biodiversity, specifically with literature from paleobotany and paleoclimatology as well as some surprising gems from early biological research both in the United States and across the world.

The first 6 books from the USGS Libraries have been added to the collections of the Biodiversity Heritage Library and you can see that list at: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/RecentRss/100/ALL/USGS

On of the first books contributed by the USGS was an 1845 book titled “American wild flowers in their native haunts.” The book contains lovely hand-colored images. Those images are now available on Flickr.

The USGS is looking forward to an ongoing collaboration with the members of the Biodiversity Heritage Library to bring the valuable resources of the world’s scientific libraries to a broader group of users.

Image of a page from the Francillon memo with a drawing of what appears to be the Hope Diamond.

One of the most unique and important articles in the USGS Libraries collections is a document called the Francillon Memo. This simple memo was written in September of 1812 by John Francillon, a jeweler practicing in London, England. The Francillon Memo includes a hand-colored trace outline of what we know today as the Hope Diamond.

The Francillon Memorandum says: “The above drawing is the exact size and shape of a very curious superfine deep blue Diamond. Brilliant cut, and equal to a fine deep blue Sapphire. It is beauty full and all perfection without specks or flaws, and the color even and perfect all over the Diamond. I traced it round the diamond with a pencil by leave of Mr. Daniel Eliason and it is as finely cut as I have ever seen in a Diamond. The color of the Drawing is as near the color of the Diamond as possible. Dated: 19th September, 1812. John Francillon, No. 29 Norfolk Street, Strand, London.”

The Francillon Memo was discovered by George Frederick Kunz in a 1768 book by Pouget cataloging the French Royal jewelry. Also included in the book is other evidence placing the stone that would become the Hope Diamond in England in 1812. The memo and other drawings remain in the Pouget book today, kept in the Rare Book Collection of the USGS Libraries Program in Reston, Virginia.

Aerial photo of Khandahar

USGS projects in Afghanistan have produced a substantial number of publications, maps, and other documents.

Extensive research by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Afghan Geological Survey, and the Department of Defense has yielded volumes of information about areas of high mineral potential in Afghanistan, including rare earth elements, gold, iron, and copper.

You can peruse pages of search results to see the range of USGS research on Afghanistan in the USGS Publications Warehouse.

Field notes and annotated map from the Herbert E. Gregory Collection. Photo by Clay Martin

The USGS Field Records Collection in Denver, Colorado is an archive of unpublished field notes, annotated maps, sketches, correspondence, analysis reports, and other data created or collected by more than 1200 USGS scientists during field studies and exploration of the continental United States, Hawaii, and other locations around the world. Materials in the collection represent almost 130 years of scientific investigations by the USGS, from the earliest days of the agency to recently completed projects. The collection includes 3,500 linear feet of document containers, 20,000 maps, more than 80,000 aerial photographs. Materials in the collection are managed as Federal records to ensure ongoing access for future researchers.  Field Records Collection staff provides reference and research assistance to USGS scientists, researchers from other Federal and State agencies, and the general public.  Detailed collection inventories with references to associated USGS publications are available for search, browse, and download from the Field Records Collection website at: http://www.cr.usgs.gov/fieldrecords.

McKee, E.D. 1957. Grand Canyon, Arizona

The USGS Photographic Library in Denver, Colorado is an archive of still photographs and original sketches dating from the 1870′s and taken by USGS scientists as part of their field studies. Topics include USGS personnel, earthquakes, volcanoes, geologic hazards and other phenomena, historical mining operations, and earth science photographs. The works of pioneer photographers such as W.H. Jackson, T.H. O’Sullivan, Carleton Watkins, J.K. Hiller, Thomas Moran, A.J. Russell, E.O. Beaman and William Bell are represented in the collection. Some photographs have been used to illustrate publications, but most have never been published. Selected photographs from the collection can be accessed online from the USGS Photographic Collection web site.

Image of the Flagstaff library collection

Welcome to the USGS Library in Flagstaff, Arizona. Our library serves both USGS personnel and visiting researchers and members of the public. Our collections are focused primarily on astrogeology – a planetary science discipline concerned with the geology of the celestial bodies such as the planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and meteorites.

The Flagstaff offices of the USGS house a number of research programs in astrogeology as well as researchers from our Ecosystems, Natural Hazards, and Climate and Land Use Change Mission Areas. The Flagstaff library is equipped and ready to support all of the various research activities that happen in and around the desert southwest.

The Flagstaff Library is located at 2255 N. Gemini Drive. Our hours are 8:00 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday except Federal holidays. You can reach is by phone at 928-556-7008 or via e-mail at flag_lib@usgs.gov

USGS Library Treasures display. Photo credit: Lakegan Harris/USGS.

Since its creation in 1882, the USGS Library has grown to become the world’s largest library dedicated to earth and natural sciences, holding more than 1.5 million volumes and 800,000 maps. Richard Huffine, Director of the USGS Libraries Program, highlights some of the rarest, most valuable, and significant materials held by the USGS in his lecture “Treasures of the USGS Library.” These include early maps of America, documents that establish the provenance of the Hope Diamond, and documentation of our exploration of the American West by Hayden, King, Powell and Wheeler.

The Library’s initiative to digitize their collection for online access will make these cultural and historic records available worldwide to anyone at anytime. Join us and learn how the USGS is using history to inform the future directions of USGS research and scholarship.

Aerostigmat camera with 75 ft. long roll of film and filters. Photo credit: Lakegan Harris/USGS.

The aerial photography collection is a section of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Menlo Park Library on the foyer level of the McKelvey Building (15). About 255 square feet of space is allocated for storing approximately 300,000 aerial photos, mostly of the San Francisco Bay Area and selected locations throughout California and the western states. The major highlight of this special collection is multiple project-date coverage beginning in the late 1930′s through the present time for the entire Bay Area.

Individual and sequential photo inspection and interpretation helps users answer current and historic questions on geologic hazards, land use, pollution, riparian restoration, building site assessment and geo-spatial reference information for emergency and disaster migration.

Study areas with tables and stereo-viewing equipment are available for patrons. Photos can be borrowed for a limited time during the day for duplication in nearby commercial copy centers. Patrons may also arrange to bring and use their own photo-copy and computer scanning equipment.

The collection can be viewed Monday – Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Questions should be addressed to the Library staff, reference phone – 650-329-5027 or email mem_lib@usgs.gov

Main entrance of the McKelvey Library, USGS Menlo Park. Photo credit: Lakegan Harris/USGS.

Welcome to the USGS Library in Menlo Park, California. This library collects, organizes, maintains, and disseminates earth and natural science data and information for USGS researchers, our partners, and the public.

We provide data and information to help researchers find solutions to questions on climate change, national economic resources, natural hazards, or environmental concerns. Our services include reference assistance; literature searches; information regarding USGS science, products and services; mapping information; GIS support; locating information and data at other libraries and institutions; providing access to historical collections; and help with exhibits, events and outreach.

The Library has a long history of supporting the USGS, going clear back to the beginning of the Bureau. As a result the USGS has one of the most extensive collections of earth science books, journals, and reports in the world. While we will continue to maintain and preserve our valuable historical printed material, we are looking forward to the future to see what directions we need take to continue to collect and maintain science data and information. Currently we are moving towards providing greater electronic access to our journal collections by researchers access to materials from their desktop. We have started collecting, archiving and providing video streams of USGS events and colloquia.

For almost as long, the library staff have been doing research and providing scientific information and technical assistance; fostering and coordinating scientific partnerships; and working as a conduit for feedback between customers and the USGS scientific and technical communities. As USGS tools and products evolve and improve the staff will continue to serve our customers. Across the Bureau, the library staff have been working to convert our printed topo maps into a digital form and make them available quickly and easily to the public.

We look forward to serving your data and information needs and look forward to any feedback you might have regarding our products and services.

A page from the Historia Mundi

One of the oldest books in the USGS Libraries collections is a history of the known world from 1530. Printed in Latin, the Historia Mundi is protected by a case built especially for the book.

The book is a part of the private library of Mr. George Frederick Kunz. Mr. Kunzs’ private library was donated to the USGS after his death in 1932.