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Recent Items

June, 2010: Librarians, Anna Fiolek, Linda Pikula, and Brian Voss, in collaboration with members of the NOAA Libraries' Staff, have developed a document entitled: Resources on Oil Spills, Response, and Restoration: a Selected Bibliography (pdf) (Microsoft Word version). This document, also called Oil Spills Bibliography, has been prepared as an aid for those seeking information concerning the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and information on previous spills and associated remedial actions. Various media products (web, video, printed and online documents) have been selected from resources available via the online NOAA Library and Information Network Catalog (NOAALINC). Many of the resources included have been produced by NOAA offices and programs. The content of the Bibliography includes information sources concerned both with the harmful effects of oil and chemical spills to marine habitats and their associated living marine resources and with the cultural and economic impacts caused by such spills.

April 9, 2010: Librarian Anna Fiolek in collaboration with Digital Collection Librarian, Diana Abney, and Head of Library Reference Service Skip Theberge, developed the anniversary home page entitled: Resources on TIROS and Satellite Meteorology. The home page has been prepared to mark and support the Agency's and NOAA Central Library (NCL) celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the launch of TIROS I, first meteorological satellite, in April 1, 1960. It displays the NCL network's unique online resources on TIROS satellites and research in satellite meteorology, including over 284 full-text documents in PDF format, over 530 low and high resolution photos, and selection of related videos in MOV and MP4 formats. The scanned documents are also available in the TIROS Bibliography online: Selected Publications on TIROS Satellites and Satellite Meteorology Available from the NOAA Central Library Network.

March 26, 2010: Mr. Thomas Jackson of the NOAA Office of Coast Survey donated the model that he had personally hand-crafted of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship BLAKE. This beautiful model was displayed at a number of NOAA Heritage Week displays but remained in the possession of Mr. Jackson. As he is soon retiring, he graciously donated this model to the Library. The BLAKE is one of the most famous of Nineteenth Century oceanographic research vessels and is considered to be the most innovative of all oceanographic vessels of that era. A second item of great historical significance was the donation to the NOAA Library Rare Book Room of the original documents forging the World Meteorological Organization following WWII. This document was found in a safe residing in the NWS Office of International Affairs and brought to the Library by Dr. William Bolhofer of that office. Among other features of this document is an original signature of then Secretary of State General George C. Marshall, famous for development of the Marshall Plan following WW II. And last but not least, after five years as part of a NOAA traveling exhibit, a model of TIROS I and a beautiful pewter model of TIROS-N were returned to the NOAA Central Library by Cheryl Oliver of the NOAA Preserve America Initiative. They are once again on display in the Library.

March 19, 2010: The Pacific Islands Climate Change Virtual Library, a new online public library with climate and coastal management information specific to the Pacific Islands, will go live the week of March 29. The interactive site was designed to help coastal managers incorporate climate information and tools into their decision making and improve the resilience of their communities to climate change impacts. The library includes resources on how to map and model climate impacts, assess vulnerability, and adapt to climate variability and change in the Pacific region. The site was developed by the NOAA Central Library, NOS Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOS Coastal Services Center, and NOS Pacific Services Center, in cooperation with the National Oceanographic Data Center, Pacific Climate Information System, coastal managers in American Samoa and Samoa, University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and other partners in the Pacific Islands, and was supported by a grant from the National Ocean Service International Coordinating Council.

March 12, 2010: More than 1,000 NOAA- related analog VHS and Betacam SP video tapes have been converted to DVD, AVI, MOV, and MP4 - user friendly formats. Currently, some of the selected videos are available online via NOAALINC, the library's online catalog. The converted video collection includes several titles related to NOAA's past discussion on global climatic changes, as well as to the upcoming 50th Anniversary of TIROS-I, the first meteorological satellite, launched on April1, 1960. The historic launch can be viewed online via the Library's metadata. This project is supported by the NOAA Climate Data Modernization Program (CDMP).

March 5, 2010: NOAA librarians selected, cataloged, preserved, and digitized over 40 NOAA historical, 16 mm films and convert them to various digital formats, including HD D5 tapes, DVD, AVI, and MOV and MP4 for Web-friendly access. Most of the films are from the early 1940s through the late 1960s, covering early pre-NOAA times, including historic U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army activities. To view most of these films online search our Library Catalog on: "NOAA historical film transfer."

February 3, 2010: The NOAA Central Library Video Lab is a new service offered by the NOAA Central Library. The Video Lab is available to all NOAA scientists for their business related media work, including digital video viewing, editing, converting, and duplicating. Contact Anna Fiolek for more information.