Established in 1879, to build and organize a collection of
scientific materials in the earth sciences, the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) Library is the largest earth sciences collection
in the world. The USGS Library System is managed by the
Geographic Information Office (GIO), Information Policy and
Services Office, and includes four libraries in Reston, Va., Denver,
Colo., Menlo Park, Calif., and Flagstaff, Ariz. The library
holds over one million books and journals, 700,000 maps,
370,000 microforms, 270,000 pamphlets, and 250,000 photographs.
In addition to the four libraries managed by the GIO, the
USGS has smaller libraries in other locations with collections
closely related to the specialized research of their local USGS
scientists.
The USGS Library System supports the research of USGS
scientists by providing access to worldwide information
resources. While continuing to build and maintain the large
collections of maps, books, and periodicals, the USGS Library
system is evolving from a traditional library to a more "virtual
library." USGS employees, wherever they are located, have
desktop access to an increasing wealth of electronic resources
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
