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FAQ's about Library

expand What is a mineral?
 

A naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties.

 


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Central Region Library Field Records Collection:The USGS Denver Library, Field Records Collection is an archive of unpublished field notes, maps, correspondence, manuscripts, analysis reports, and other data created or collected by USGS Geologic Discipline scientists during field studies and other project work. 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. Materials in the collection represent project work undertaken in the contiguous 48 states and Hawaii. Field records for the state of Alaska are kept in the Alaska Technical Data Unit Field Records Archive.
De Miraculis Occultis Natura (1611):This 398 year old book is tiny but is still a valuable resource to researchers of the earth and natural sciences.
Researching Historical Collections:The Field Records Library provides reference and research assistance to USGS scientists and staff, as well as to a wide range of researchers from other Federal and State agencies, and the general public. Subject matter of interest ranges from geology, history of the USGS, and history of the earth sciences to exploration in the western United States, genealogy, art, archeology, military and civilian history, the environment, and related topics.
expand Who has access to the information the U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Resources Discipline (BRD) is assembling?
 

Everybody. The USGS' BRD research and information is in the public domain. It's available through the Internet on the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) at http://www.nbii.gov/.

 


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North American Herpetology: Image of a Snake:This 167 year-old hand-colored plate is just one example of the artistry that can be found in this book.
Records Preservation:Older materials and recently arrived items in the Field Records Collection are in various states of preservation and documentation. In the current reorganization project, items are inventoried for content, transferred to archival storage containers, and archived as shelf items (notebooks and file folders), flat files (maps and diagrams), or in rolls (large-format maps and charts). Online, searchable descriptive inventories of each collection allow users to identify and request specific items for examination.
Historia Mundi (1530):This 479 year old volume is stored in a specially-made box that protects it from further damage by exposure to light.
expand How can I find out-of-print USGS publications?
 

Out-of-print USGS publications and maps, depending on series and date, can be obtained in one of four ways:

  1. Check the USGS Publications Warehouse for online availability.
  2. Borrow from your local public, academic, or corporate library through a request for interlibrary loan.
  3. Purchase through a document delivery service company. Several are listed on the web at http://www.docdel.com/Geology_and_Earth_Sciences.html
  4. Purchase through used book and map dealers. Some places to start your search include:
    http://www.google.com (Search title in quotations.)
    http://www.lib.umn.edu/site/rqs.phtml?subject_id=104
    http://www.bookfinder.com

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Field Notes:The Field Records Collection has many materials types including: field notebooks, sketches, annotated maps, unpublished manuscripts, plane-table sheets, annotated aerial photographs, sample analysis, stratigraphic columns, lithologic logs, and geologic cross sections. Materials in the Field Records Collection are organized by lead scientist and subdivided by project. All materials are archived in the Central Region Library Special Collections room, allowing related items in different formats, such as field maps and notebooks, to be easily retrieved for direct comparison.
Historia Mundi (1530):This 479 year-old volume, in Latin, was written by Plinius Secundus.
North American Herpetology: Image of an Alligator:This 167 year-old hand-colored plate is just one example of the artistry that can be found in this book.
expand Where can I obtain soil surveys?
 

Soil Surveys published by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly the Soil Conservation Service, are available from several sources.

  1. Some are available online from the NRCS website.
  2. The public may view the surveys or borrow them through interlibrary loan from a public or organizational library.
  3. Surveys may also be purchased from your state or local government.
  4. The USGS Library in Reston, Virginia has a majority of the soil surveys in our collection, available to the public through interlibrary loan. Contact us through the Ask a Librarian form; include the county and state of interest, to obtain further information.

 


[ Additional Details and Related Links ]

 Click image for additional information.
Historia Mundi (1530):This 479 year old volume is stored in a specially-made box that protects it from further damage by exposure to light.
De Miraculis Occultis Natura (1611):This 398 year old book is tiny but is still a valuable resource to researchers of the earth and natural sciences.
Records Preservation:Older materials and recently arrived items in the Field Records Collection are in various states of preservation and documentation. In the current reorganization project, items are inventoried for content, transferred to archival storage containers, and archived as shelf items (notebooks and file folders), flat files (maps and diagrams), or in rolls (large-format maps and charts). Online, searchable descriptive inventories of each collection allow users to identify and request specific items for examination.
expand How can I obtain educational materials pertaining to USGS activities?
  The USGS Educational Resources website provides information on earthquakes, climate change, national parks, wildfires, fossils, satellites, flooding, endangered species and much more! We offer lesson plans, image collections, videos, posters, publications, information on careers in science, and many more educational resources for all ages. Many of these materials are available at no cost. You can access that site at http://education.usgs.gov.

Note the newly added Feature: USGS Educational Videos and Animations.

 


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De Miraculis Occultis Natura (1611):This 398 year old book is tiny but is still a valuable resource to researchers of the earth and natural sciences.
Treasures of the USGS Library: Rare Book Room:The USGS Library contains a collection of rare books including those featured in this gallery. The collections housed in Reston, Virginia are closed and are available for use by appointment only.
From Card Catalog to Website:Organization and inventorying of the collection is an ongoing project. The Denver Library is converting card catalog records and inventory documents into a web accessible database in which inventories may be searched by keyword or browsed by scientist. The new website went live for USGS and public use in March of 2009.
expand Where can I find historical photographs from the Great Surveys of the American West?
  The USGS has placed on-line a number of images taken by some of the photographers who worked for or otherwise accompanied the "Great Surveys of the American West."

Before the USGS was established by Congress as a part of the Department of Interior, four preceding surveys of the western - most parts of the United States took place between 1867 and 1879. Surveys lead by Ferdinand Hayden and John Wesley Powell were sponsored by the Interior Department, and the Surveys lead by Clarence King and Lt. George M. Wheeler were sponsored by the War Department.

1. The King's survey was called the "U.S. Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel" and included photographers Timothy O'Sullivan and C. E. Watkins.

2. The Hayden's survey was known as the "U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories," with photographer William Henry Jackson.

3. Timothy O'Sullivan was also one photographer for the Wheeler's survey named the "U.S. Geographical Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian."

4. J. K. Hillers and E. O. Beaman were the photographers for the Powell's survey, which became known as the "U.S. Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region."

You may access these images via the USGS Photographic Library website (http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/index.html) by selecting "Pioneer Photographers" on the left column of the page".


[ Additional Details and Related Links ]

 Click image for additional information.
Field Notes:The Field Records Collection has many materials types including: field notebooks, sketches, annotated maps, unpublished manuscripts, plane-table sheets, annotated aerial photographs, sample analysis, stratigraphic columns, lithologic logs, and geologic cross sections. Materials in the Field Records Collection are organized by lead scientist and subdivided by project. All materials are archived in the Central Region Library Special Collections room, allowing related items in different formats, such as field maps and notebooks, to be easily retrieved for direct comparison.
Compact Storage:After a detailed inventory is completed and published on the web, processed materials are stored in compact shelving in the Field Records Collection. Collections are organized by scientist and project.
Historia Mundi (1530):This 479 year old volume is stored in a specially-made box that protects it from further damage by exposure to light.
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