Geoscience Information Society NEWS RELEASES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS (most recent first)

FREE SEMINAR ON GEOSCIENCE LIBRARIANSHIP SET FOR OCTOBER 21
 September 7, 2006

A free, one-day seminar on geoscience librarianship will be presented by the Geoscience  Information Society on Saturday, October 21, 2006 in Philadelphia.  Registration is open to all information professionals as well as students in library and information studies. 
 
“Geoscience Librarianship 101” will provide participants with a basic understanding of earth science information resources and their organization. Speakers include:
 
               Lisa Dunn, Colorado School of Mines Library
               Linda Zellmer, Geology Library, Indiana University
               Linda Musser, Earth & Mineral Sciences Library, Penn State University
               Andrea Twiss-Brooks, Science Libraries, University of Chicago
               Patricia Yocum, Science Library, University of Michigan
               David R. Soller, U.S. Geological Survey
               Richard C. Keen,  Pennsylvania Geological Survey
 
Topics slated for coverage include collection development, geological maps, reference and instructional services, professional development, and the USGS publications program.
Roundtable discussion of selected “hot topics” will follow. The program is a mix of formal and informal modes with opportunity for “newbies” and prospective “newbies” to talk with experienced geoscience librarians. The seminar will also benefit librarians who want to refresh their understanding of geoscience information.  
 
The program is set for 10 AM to 4:30 PM in the Class of 1955 Conference Room (Room 241), VanPelt-Dietrich Library Center, University of Pennsylvania, 3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. There is no charge for the seminar, but pre-registration is required. Owing to
security regulations, no walk-ins will be admitted. Registrations must be received by October 10, 2006. To reserve your place or to request additional information, please contact Shaun Hardy, GSIS Publicity Officer, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015, telephone 202-478-7960, e-mail hardy@dtm.ciw.edu.
 
The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization devoted to improving the exchange of information in the earth sciences. Information about the Society may be found at its website www.geoinfo.org. 
 
Support for “Geoscience Librarianship 101” is provided by the University of Pennsylvania Library and Springer.

TOP GEOSCIENCE PUBLICATIONS, WEBSITES HONORED AT 2005 AWARDS CEREMONY
November 28, 2005

Four outstanding earth science publications and websites were honored by the Geoscience Information Society (GSIS) at its October meeting in Salt Lake City.

LIBRARIANS DERKSEN, NOGA RECEIVE 2005 GSIS AWARDS
November 29, 2005

Librarians Charlotte R. M. Derksen (emerita) of Stanford University and Michael M. Noga of MIT received professional awards at the 2005 annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society (GSIS) in Salt Lake City. 

Charlotte Derksen was presented with the Mary B. Ansari Distinguished Service Award.  The award, given for the first time this year, recognizes significant contributions to the geoscience information profession.  In presenting the award on October 18, selection committee chair Claren Kidd (University of Oklahoma) cited Derksen’s professional leadership, research, and service to users of geoscience information.  “Charlotte's distinguished career has also included being a mentor of future geoscience librarians,” Kidd added.  “She’s been an innovator and a staunch advocate for geoscience libraries.” Derksen was head librarian of the Branner Earth Sciences Library and Map Collections at Stanford from 1980 until her retirement in 2004.  At Branner, she instituted instruction, database searching, and extensive collection development programs, and added map catalogers and GIS experts to the staff.  Her expertise in digital geoscience data was widely known and shared through many presentations and papers on the subject.  She also conducted cost and use studies to assess the value of geoscience literature.  Derksen was active in the Geoscience Information Society, the Cartographic Users Advisory Council, and the American Geological Institute.  She served on advisory committees for GeoRef and GeoScienceWorld, and on the Geological Society of America’s Publications Committee.  The publication of the fifth edition of the Union List of Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks of North America in 1989 owed much to her involvement.  Since her retirement from Stanford, she has been working on indexing projects for GeoRef.    Michael Noga was presented with the Society’s 2005 Best Paper Award for his publication “Conference Proceedings in Geoscience Journals:  What’s the Use?”, published in volume 34 of the Geoscience Information Society Proceedings.  The award is given to the best professional paper in the field of geoscience information published during the previous year.  Noga’s study examined citation frequencies of conference papers published in earth science periodicals and monographic proceedings, and compared their usage to that of research articles. Noga is Earth and Planetary Sciences Librarian and Collection Manager for Science at MIT.  He holds degrees in biology and in library and information science from Case Western Reserve University and a Masters degree in geography from the University of Cincinnati.  Before coming to MIT Noga worked in geoscience libraries at Stanford and UCLA.  He is active in GSIS and the Western Association of Map Libraries. The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization devoted to improving the exchange of information in the earth sciences.  The membership consists of librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. Information about the Society may be found at www.geoinfo.org.
	Claren Kidd (left) presents the Geoscience Information Society's first Mary B. Ansari Distinguished Service Award to Charlotte Derksen.
	Michael Noga, Earth and Planetary Sciences Librarian at MIT, receives the 2005 Best Paper Award from Thelma Thompson of the Geoscience Information Society.

FREE SEMINAR ON GEOSCIENCE LIBRARIANSHIP SET FOR OCTOBER 15
June 27, 2005

Are you a librarian new to the geosciences? Need information? Want a mentor?  Come join the experts for “Geoscience Librarianship 101” -- a free seminar on geoscience librarianship, sponsored by the Geoscience Information Society (GSIS) in conjunction with the Geological Society of America annual meeting.  The program is set for Saturday, October 15, 2005 from 10:30 to 5:00 at the Gould Room, Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

Experienced geoscience librarians will lead breakout sessions in key topics.  Lisa Dunn, Head of Reference at the Arthur Lake Library, Colorado School of Mines, will moderate discussion of collection development.  A session on map librarianship will be coordinated by Linda Zellmer, Head of the Geology Library, Indiana University.  Connie Mansion, President of Connie J. Manson & Associates, Geoscience Information Services, will share tips on marketing your library and services.

Following lunch with a mentor, there will be group discussion of emerging topics of interest to geoscience librarians.  The seminar will conclude with an open forum on electronic resources, with an opportunity to view GeoScienceWorld, GeoRef, and other online information products.  Refreshments will be provided courtesy of Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA).

Participation is open to all professional librarians, information specialists, and students.  There is no charge for the seminar, but advance registration is required.  To reserve your place, or to request additional information, please contact Adonna Fleming, GSIS Vice President, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, 221B Love Library, Lincoln, NE 68588-4100, telephone 402-472-3920, e-mail afleming@unlnotes.unl.edu.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization devoted to improving the exchange of information in the earth sciences. Information about the Society may be found at www.geoinfo.org.
 

ABSTRACTS FOR GSIS MEETING DUE JULY 12   
June 24, 2005

Oral and poster presentations are invited for the fall meeting of the Geoscience Information Society (GSIS), set for October 16-19, 2005 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The theme of this year’s topical session is “Collaboration for the Dissemination of Geologic Information Among Colleagues.”  The deadline for abstract submission is July 12.  

“One of the best features of the meeting is hearing colleagues speak about their challenges or local projects” said Linda Musser, GSIS president.  “I like the posters for their ease and informality and the opportunity to talk with each presenter.  The oral sessions attract bigger crowds and raise the visibility of librarians among our geoscience colleagues.  They're a great way to publicize your library, its services or initiatives.”

Musser called attention to a number of “hot topics” in geoscience information, specifically the Open Access initiative and the impact of cutbacks to government information and services in the geosciences.   She cited geoscience publishing trends, undergraduate user instruction, and the “library as place” movement as other possibilities for potential presenters to consider.

GSIS is an international professional organization devoted to improving the exchange of information in the earth sciences, and meets in conjunction with the Geological Society of America (GSA) annual meeting.  Abstracts should be submitted electronically via the GSA web site at http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2005/techProg.htm.

NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR GEOSCIENCE INFORMATION AWARD
May 3, 2005

The Geoscience Information Society is seeking nominations for a new award honoring significant contributions to the geoscience information  profession.  Librarians, editors, scientists, educators, and other  information professionals are all eligible for the "Geoscience Information Society Distinguished Service Award."   Membership in the Society is not  required.  The award will be presented at the Society's annual meeting  in Salt Lake City this October.  Nominations will be accepted until June 15.

To nominate an individual, submit the following to the award committee chair:  your name and contact information; the name, title, contact  information, and resume or curriculum vitae of the nominee; and a  statement, not to exceed 700 words, indicating why the candidate is  deserving of this award.  Additional letters of support from other  individuals may be submitted along with the nomination.  The award  committee chair is Claren Kidd, Youngblood Energy Library, University  of Oklahoma, 100 E. Boyd R220, Norman, OK 73019; fax 405-325-5070;  e-mail ckidd@ou.edu.

Kristi L. Jensen Wins GIS Best Paper Award
October 23, 2002

Kristi L. Jensen's paper titled "Providing Access to Online Government Documents in an Academic Research Library Collection: A Case Study in the Geosciences" by has been selected for the 2002 Geoscience Information Society Best Paper Award. It was published in Science and Technology Libraries in vol. 20, no. 2/3, p. 15-25 in 2001. The Geoscience Information Society has presented its Best Paper Award annually since 1986. The award honors the best paper published in the field of geoscience information during the previous year and will be presented on October 28 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Denver.

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Two Websites Chosen for GIS Outstanding Website Award
October 23, 2002

The United States Geology Survey and the Links for Mineralogist websites have been chose for the first ever GIS Outstanding Website Awards. The award honors the exceptional websites in the field of geoscience and will be presented to representatives of the institutions hosting the sites on October 28 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Denver.

The USGS impressed the selection committee with its long-standing commitment to provide high quality information on the Web. The USGS website is easy to navigate, with several major subdivisions covering geology, mapping, water resources, and more. Along with extensive materials geared towards the specialist, the site also offers news, information, and educational activities designed for the general public. The depth and range of information provided is outstanding. Numerous data files are accessible and full-text is available for many recent publications.  Furthermore, many of the component pages such as the National Atlas of the United States and the National Geologic Map Database are noteworthy in their own right. (http:www.usgs.gov)

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World Atlas of Coral Reefs Wins GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award
October 23, 2001

The World Atlas of Coral Reefs has been selected to receive the 2002 GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award. Mark D. Spalding, Corinna Ravilious, and Edmund P. Green are the authors of the volume which was published in 2001 by the University of California Press in association with UNEP-WCMC. The award includes a $500 prize and will be formally presented on October 29 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Denver. 

The World Atlas of Coral Reefs provides a comprehensive overview of the subject. It has up-to-date information on the state of the world's corals reefs. It also contains eighty-four full-page newly researched and drawn color maps together with more than two hundred color photos illustrating reefs, reef animals, and images taken from space by NASA astronauts during the 2000 and 2001 space shuttle flights.

Mark D. Spalding is Senior Programme Officer of UNEP-WCMC's Marine and Coastal Programme in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Corinna Ravilious is a geographic information systems technical officer at UNEP-WCMC, and Edmund P. Green is head of UNEP-WCMC's Marine and Coastal Programme.

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Patricia B. Yocum and Gretchen A. McNeely Win GIS Best Paper Award
October 19, 2001

Patricia B. Yocum and Gretchen A. McNeely's paper titled "Information Literacy in the Geosciences"  by has been selected for the 2001 Geoscience Information Society Best Paper Award. It was published in the Proceedings of the 34th Meeting of the Geoscience Information Society, October 25-28, Denver, Colorado, (Volume title: Communication Divides: Perspectives on Supporting Information Bridges in the Geosciences, edited by Lois Heiser, 2000) on pp. 15-22. (Ms. McNeely published this paper under her former name Gretchen S. Almy.) The Geoscience Information Society has presented its Best Paper Award annually since 1986. The award honors the best paper published in the field of geoscience information during the previous year and will be presented on November 6 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Boston.

 Patricia B. Yocum is Coordinator for Collection at the Shapiro Science Library at the University of Michigan. She is active in the International Federation of Library Associations.  She received her A.M.L.S. and M.A. in English Literature from the University of Michigan. Gretchen A. McNeely is the managing director of Zephyr Information Services LLC, an independent business research firm. She is also the research librarian for Ardesta LLC, an incubator for the MEMS and nanotechnology industries. She received an M.S. in Information from the University of Michigan.

In their article Ms. Yocum and Ms. McNeely looked at the topic of digital resource instruction for undergraduate geology students. They examined literature on the topic, web sites of professional societies, and university web sites. They then interviewed other university geoscience librarians regarding their undergraduate instruction activities. They conclude that cooperative efforts among libraries and professional societies may be key to providing systematic preparation of undergraduate students to use the digital geoscience library effectively.

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Encyclopedia of Paleontology Wins GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award
October 16, 2001

The Encyclopedia of Paleontology has been selected to receive the 2001 GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award. Ronald Singers was editor of this reference work published in 1999 by Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers.  The award includes a $500 prize and will be formally presented on November 6 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Boston. 

The Encyclopedia of Paleontology provides a comprehensive overview of the subject.  Over two hundred recognized authorities cover many topics including: adaptation, birds, algae, dinosaurs, dating methods, extinction, and vertebrates. Each article contains suggestions for further reading. It also includes a taxonomic index and a general index.

The Geoscience Information Society has presented the GIS-Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award annually since 1988.  The award honors an outstanding reference work published in the field of geoscience information during the previous three years. 

Ronald Singer is the Robert R. Bensley Professor of Biology and Medical Sciences at the University of Chicago where he is also professor of Anthropology and of Organismal Biology and Anatomy.  He conducts research on the evolution of humans and other mammals of the African Quaternary, on the biology of indigenous African human populations, on Middle Pleistocene populations in Europe and Asia, and on hominid and other mammalian evolution in Grenada, West Indies

Go to the GIS-Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award

Geoscience Information Society Elects New Officers
October 15, 2001

Lisa G. Dunn and Patricia B. Yocum have been elected new officers of the Geoscience Information Society. Lisa Dunn will take office as Vice-President/President-Elect at the conclusion of the November 2001 meeting of the Society in Boston and Patricia Yocum will take office as Treasurer. Also in November Michael M. Noga will begin his term as President after his year as Vice-President/President-Elect and Suzanne T. Larsen will be starting the second year of her term of office as Secretary.

Lisa Dunn is head of reference at Arthur Lakes Library of the Colorado School of Mines. Patricia Yocum is coordinator of collection at the Shapiro Science Library of the University of Michigan.

Southwest Passage: a Trip Through the Phanerozoic Wins GIS 2000 Best Guidebook of the Year Award
October 15, 2001

Tim Lawton and Nancy McMillan will be given the 2001 GIS Best Guidebook of the Year Award for their work on Southwest Passage: a Trip Through the Phanerozoic on November 6, 2001 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Boston.  Tim Lawton and Nancy McMillan, who are both faculty members at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, edited the work.  It was published by the New Mexico Geological Society in 2000 and is available for sale from the Society for fifty dollars. 

Academic and governmental geoscience librarians from across the U.S. and Canada selected this guidebook for the award.  This 282 page, softbound volume met the criteria that the Geoscience Information Society has published and distributed.  The goals of the criteria are to encourage authors, editors and publishers to create and distribute quality guidebooks with roadlogs.  The Society hopes that the resulting guidebooks will be useful to geologists because of their quality and widespread availability in libraries.

Dr. Lawton earned his Ph.D. in geology from the University of Arizona in 1983.  His research interests include the Mesozoic tectonic development of the southwest U.S. and Mexico and salt-related sedimentation in northeastern Mexico.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2000

DIGITAL MAPPING AND LIBRARIES THE THEME OF THE GIS DIGITAL DATABASE FORUM

"Digital Mapping and Libraries" is the theme of this year's Digital Forum sponsored by the Geoscience Information Society. The Forum is offered for all participants of the 2000 Geological Society of America Meeting in Reno. It will be held on Wednesday, November 15th, 2000 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Reno Hilton, Shasta Rooms 1 & 2.

Each year, the Forum provides a venue where scientists, information specialists, and publishers gather and discuss issues concerning electronic resources and view new applications in electronic data for the Earth Sciences. This year the forum will be in the format of a panel discussion with the following participants:

• Ann Johnson of ESRI, publishers of GIS mapping software.
• Robert Hoar of Geologic Data Systems, an exploration services company which publishes digital mapping and remote sensing data.
• Katherine A. Frohmberg, Head of the Earth Sciences & Map Library, University of California at Berkeley, who will describe the "History of the Bay Area", a digitization project to preserve topographic quadrangle maps back to the late 19th century.
• Bob Bier, Cartographic Information Services Librarian, U.S.G.S. Library, Reston, VA.
• Sheila-McGinty-Davis, doctoral student in geology, University of Tulsa.

October 23, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GIS International Fellow to Attend GIS/GSA Meeting

Theodora Zoto from Albania will be attending the Geoscience Information Society meeting at the Geological Society of America meeting in Reno in November as a Geoscience Information Society international fellow. The fellowship provides funds for attendance at the annual meeting and for a four-week visit in North America. During her stay Ms. Zoto is visiting the USGS in Reston, Virginia; the American Geological Institute in Alexandria, Virginia; the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Geophysical Laboratory Library; and the Earth and Mineral Science Library at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania.

The fellowship program was established in 1998 to assist geoscience information specialists or geoscience librarians who work in a geological survey or academic institution in a developing nation. The Society hopes that these persons will when they return to their organization develop seminars and workshops to share their new skills to broaden the expertise of their co-workers at both the local and national level.

Ms. Zoto is Chief of Library, Archive and Information of the Institute for Geological Research of the Geological Survey of Albania in Tirana, Albania. She has a diploma from Tirana University and has received training at the National Library in Tirana. She hopes that the fellowship will provide her with opportunities for learning more about automating a library and providing Internet access to the collection and its resources.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at www.geoinfo.org.

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October 16, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Encyclopedia of Volcanoes Wins GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award

The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes has been selected to receive the 2000 GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award. Haraldur Sigurdsson was editor-in chief of this reference work published this year by Academic Press. The award includes a $250 prize and will be formally presented on November 14 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Reno.

The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes, published by Academic Press, provides a comprehensive overview of volcanoes and their impact on society. Over one-hundred recognized authorities in volcanology, petrology, biology and other fields cover many topics including: volcanology, petrology, extraterrestrial volcanism, volcanic interactions and hazards, economic and cultural aspects of volcanism, and volcanoes in art, literature and film. Each article contains an outline, glossary, defining statement, body, cross-references, bibliography and references. The articles contain many black and white illustrations and the complete work has sections of color plates corresponding to the individual articles. In addition, an extensive list of world's volcanoes is included in an appendix that contains latitude, longitude, type, and eruption years.

The Geoscience Information Society has presented the GIS-Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award annually since 1988. The award honors an outstanding reference work published in the field of geoscience information during the previous three years.

Harald Sigurdsson has authored or coauthored more that one-hundred sixty scientific publications in the field of volcanology.  He is a professor of the Geological Oceanography Faculty of the Graduate School of Oceanography of the University of Rhode Island.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at www.geoinfo.org.

Go to the GIS-Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award

October 16, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lisa A. Wishard & Linda R. Musser Win GIS Best Paper Award

Lisa A. Wishard and Linda R. Musser have been selected for the 2000 Geoscience Information Society Best Paper Award for their paper titled "Preservation Strategies for Geoscience Literature: New Technologies for an Old Literature" published in the journal Library Resources & Technical Services, vol. 43, no. 3, 1999, pp. 131-139.  Ms. Wishard is senior technical information specialist at the Technical Library, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ms. Musser is the head of the Earth and Mineral Science Library, Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania. The Geoscience Information Society has presented its Best Paper Award annually since 1986. The award honors the best paper published in the field of geoscience information during the previous year and will be presented on November 14 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Reno.

In their article Ms. Wishard and Ms. Musser concisely describe the history of geological literature in the United States and the special problems encountered in trying to preserve it because of the variety of formats including text, maps (some colored), photographs, illustrations that are often incorporated into single works. They also describe preservation methods and the need for developing priorities for preservation efforts. This topic has been of great concern to the members of the Society and this article represents an important attempt to educate the general library community about the special preservation problems of geological literature.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at www.geoinfo.org.

Go to GIS Best Paper Award

October 16, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Geoscience Information Society Elects New Officers

Michael Noga and Suzanne Larsen have been elected new officers of the Geoscience Information Society. Michael Noga will take office as Vice-President/President-Elect at the conclusion of the November 2000 meeting of the Society in Reno and Suzanne Larsen will take office as Secretary. Also in November Sharon Tahirkheli will begin her term as President after her year as Vice-President/President-Elect and April Love will be starting the second year of her term of office as Treasurer. Michael Noga is Collection Manager (Science) and Mathematics Librarian at the MIT Libraries. Suzanne Larsen is the Head of the Jerry Crail Johnson Earth Sciences and Map Library at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at www.geoinfo.org.

October 2, 2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Guidebook to the Geology of Eastern Idaho Wins GIS 2000 Best Guidebook of the Year Award

Scott S. Hughes and Glenn D. Thackray will be given the 2000 GIS Best Guidebook of the Year Award for their work on Guidebook to the Geology of Eastern Idaho on November 14, 2000 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Reno, Nevada. Published in 1999 by the Idaho Museum of Natural History its chapters detail the regional geology of eastern Idaho and the Snake River Plain, including their Proterozoic and Paleozoic stratigraphies and structures, Cenozoic tectonism, and Quaternary geology and geomorphology. Scott S. Hughes and Glenn D. Thackray, both of the faculty of the Department of Geology at Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, edited the volume which is available for sale from The Museum for $35.00.

This guidebook was selected by academic and governmental geoscience librarians from across the US and Canada. This 342 page, crisply illustrated and printed softbound volume met the criteria that the Geoscience Information Society has published and distributed. The goals of the criteria are to encourage authors, editors and publishers to create and distribute quality guidebooks with roadlogs. The Society hopes that the resulting guidebooks will be useful to geologists because of their quality and widespread availability in libraries.

Dr. Scott Hughes earned his Ph.D. from Oregon State University in 1983. His research interests are in volcanology, igneous petrology and geochemistry of the Snake River Plain, petrogenesis of the  Columbia River Basalt feeder dikes, continental evolution, and the geochemistry of the Appalachian Blue Ridge deep crust massifs in central Virginia.

Dr. Glenn Thackray earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington, Seattle in 1996. His recent research projects include a concluded study of late Quaternary alpine glaciation of the Olympic Mountains in the state of Washington. Currently he is investigating glacial and lacustrine records of late Quaternary climate change in Idaho. Among his other research projects, he is currently working with a couple ISU graduate students to construct a glacial chronology for central Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains, and ultimately for the surrounding ranges.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS web site at www.geoinfo.org.

Go to GIS Best Guidebook Award 

October 11, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Electronic Books and Journals the theme of the 1999 GIS Digital Database Forum

"Issues Concerning Electronic Journals and Books: Viewpoints from the Researcher, Publisher and Librarian" is the theme of this year's Digital Forum sponsored by the Geoscience Information Society. The Forum is offered for all participants of the 1999 Geological Society of America Meeting in Denver. It will be held on Wednesday, October 27, 1999, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Marriott Hotel, Denver IV room.

Each year, the Forum provides a venue where scientists, information specialists, and publishers gather and discuss issues concerning electronic resources and view new applications in electronic data for the Earth Sciences.

Panelists for this year's forum include: Alan Charnes, Executive Director of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries (CARL) and Dr. Brian Penn, from the Pan-American Center for Earth and Environmental Studies (PACES), University of Texas at El Paso. Blackwell Science, publisher of Synergy, a full text journal service; Elsevier, publisher of "ScienceDirect" a web database of over 1,000 full text Elsevier journals; NetLibrary, a collection of online reference, scholarly and professional books, will also be represented.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at http://www.geoinfo.org.

October 11, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Geoscience Information Society Elects New Officers

DAVIS, CA. Sharon Tahirkheli and April Love have been elected new officers of the Geoscience Information Society. Sharon Tahirkheli will take office as Vice-President/President-Elect at the conclusion of the October 1999 meeting of the Society in Denver and April Love will take office as Treasurer. Also in October Lois Heiser will begin her term as President after her year as Vice-President/President-Elect and Shaun Hardy will be starting the second year of his term of office as Secretary.

Sharon Tahirkheli is Director of Information Services (GeoRef) at the American Geological Institute in Alexandria, Virginia. April Love is Physical Sciences Librarian at the Science Library of the University of California at Irvine.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at http://www.geoinfo.org.

October 11, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Encyclopedia of Planetary Sciences Wins 1999 GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award

DAVIS, CA. -- The Encyclopedia of Planetary Sciences has been selected to receive the 1999 GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award.  James H. Shirley and Rhodes W. Fairbridge are the editors of this reference work published by Chapman & Hall in 1997. The award includes a $500 prize and will be formally presented on October 26 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Denver.

The selection committee members were impressed with the Encyclopedia's comprehensiveness and its good balance between short biographical entries and longer authoritative articles on major aspects of planetary sciences.  It has excellent indexes, cross-references, extensive bibliographies, and a CD of NASA images.

The Geoscience Information Society has presented the GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award annually since 1988. The award honors an outstanding reference work published in the field of geoscience information during the previous three years.

James H. Shirley has written many scientific publications in the fields of lunar and terrestrial seismology, solar physics, and atmospheric sciences.  He is a member of the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer Science team of the Galileo Mission to Jupiter, based at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Rhodes W. Fairbridge has edited more that two dozen encyclopedias and authored more than three-hundred scientific publications. He is affiliated with NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Columbia University.

 The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at http://www.geoinfo.org.

Go to the GIS-Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award

Winner of the 1999 GIS Best Guidebook Award Chosen

DAVIS, CA. -- The guidebook edited by E. M. Duebendorfer and titled:  "Geologic Excursions in Northern and Central Arizona; GSA Rocky Mountain Section, May 1998" has been chosen to receive the 1999 Geoscience Information Society Best Guidebook Award.

The Geoscience Information Society has presented the Best Guidebook Award annually since 1990 to encourage high standards in guidebook creation.  This guidebook was selected because of its overall excellence and because it includes the following information in its preliminary pages:

   - name, place, and the month and year of the meeting;
   - title includes geographic area into which the field trip/s explores;
   - name and address from which copies can be obtained;
   - names of field trip leaders

Also its illustrations are clear with well-written captions; the paper and hard cover binding are of good quality; and the pages are consecutively numbered.

Dr. Duebendorfer, a structural geologist with over 50 papers cited in GeoRef, is a faculty member at Northern Arizona University. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming in 1986. His research areas are in Wyoming, the Lake Mead region of Nevada/Arizona, Antarctica, and the
Transverse Ranges of Southern California. He will soon be conducting research on the structural geology of the area near Albany, Western Australia. He is presenting two papers at the 1999 GSA Annual meeting.

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September 17, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Barbara P. Buttenfield Wins 1999 GIS Best Paper Award

DAVIS, CA. --  Barbara P. Buttenfield has been selected for the 1999 Geoscience Information Society Best Paper Award for her paper titled "Looking Forward: Geographic Information Services and Libraries in the Future" published in the journal Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, vol. 25, no. 3, 1998, pp. 161 - 171.  Barbara Buttenfield is Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

The Geoscience Information Society has presented its Best Paper Award annually since 1986. The award honors the best paper published in the field of geoscience information during the previous year and will be presented on October 26 at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Denver.

A member of the selection committee describes the paper as being "forward-looking" and having "a 'power to the people' feel to it regarding geographic information systems services."

Dr. Buttenfield teaches courses in geographic information science, computer cartography, and geographic information design. Her research
interests focus on data delivery on the Internet, visualization tools for environmental modeling, map generalization, and interface usability
testing. She has worked extensively with librarians and information scientists to develop internet-based tools to browse and retrieve
information for very large spatial archives. She received her Ph.D. in geography from the University of Washington in 1984.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at www.geoinfo.org.

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October 16, 1998

GIS Selects International Fellows

 DAVIS, CA. This year the Geoscience Information Society selected two librarians for its first ever international fellowship program. Generously funded by Newmont Mining Com-pany and Homestake Mining, the fellowship was established to assist two geoscience information specialists or geoscience librarians who work in a geological survey or academic institution. These persons would upon returning to their organization would develop seminars and workshops to share their new skills to broaden the expertise of their co-workers at both the local and national level. Selected from among forty applications received from twenty-three nations, were Arlene A. Marzo and a second librarian who at the last minute was unable to participate. Ms. Marzo is the librarian of the National Institute of Geological Sciences of the College of Science of the University of Philippines. The fellowship provides funds for a seven week stay in North America which began with an international meeting of science editors, publishers, and librarians titled "Science Editing and Information Management" held in Washington, DC in early September and will end with the Geoscience Information Society meeting to be held at the Geological Society of America annual meeting in Toronto, Ontario the last week in October.

Before going to Washington, D.C. Ms. Marzo visited Susan Goodman at the Library of Science and Medicine at Rutgers University. Then after the Washington meeting and while still in that city, she was a guest at the American Geological Institute, home of the GeoRef Database, where she was hosted by GeoRef Director, Sharon Tahirkheli. Ms. Marzo spent time observing the GeoRef production system including a brief review of the indexing system and the development of the GeoRef Thesaurus. Other departments at the American Geological Institute provided her with brief presentations regarding Geotimes, the Glossary of Geology and the various directories that are maintained by AGI. At the Library of the Geophysical Laboratory and Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institution, she had the opportunity to study cataloging using the OCLC online system with Librarian Shaun Hardy.

Next on the itinerary was Penn State University for a week with Earth and Mineral Science Librarians Linda Musser and Lisa Wishard. While in University Park, she visited several sections of the library system, including preservation, computing facilities, and domestic and international documents collections. To gain a flavor of life in rural Pennsylvania, Ms. Marzo was treated to a trip to the Allegheny National Forest, a local Amish community, a local dairy farm, and a banjo concert.

During her three week stay in Austin, TX hosted by Dr. Julie Hallmark at the University of Texas at Austin, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Ms. Marzo attended several UT Library and Information Science classes and campus activities. Visits to local special libraries included the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology Library and its well log collection, the USGS Library, and the Texas Natural Resources Commission Library. On campus she visited the science branch libraries (Chemistry, Geology, Life Sciences, Engineering, and Physics-Math-Astronomy) for tours and electronic demos/practice with the branch librarians. Other specialized interests and short courses included Document Delivery, Web Graphics (short course), two three-hour sessions in the GSLIS course in Information Resources in Science and Technology, Lexis-Nexis demo and practice, and colloquia. She also was a guest at the fall potluck dinner of the local Special Libraries Association chapter.

In mid-October she will fly to Ottawa for a week at the Geological Survey of Canada. During her stay in Ottawa, Ms Marzo will spend time with staff at the Earth Sciences Information Centre which comprises Canada's largest collection of books, serials and maps in the earth sciences. She will also tour the publications and cartography sections of the GSC. Visits have been arranged to the libraries of Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology and Natural Resources Canada Headquarters, as well as to the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information. Coinciding with Canada's National Science and Technology Week, Ms Marzo's visit will also include popular lectures on rocks, minerals and meteorites, the Global Positioning System and a laboratory visit to view the Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe housed at the GSC.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at www.geoinfo.org.

Melissa Lamont and Lisa Wishard Win GIS Best Paper Awards

 DAVIS, CA. Melissa Lamont and Lisa Wishard have been selected for 1998 Geoscience Information Society Best Paper Awards. Melissa Lamont was selected for her paper titled "Managing Geospatial Data and Services" which was published in the Journal Of Academic Librarianship, vol. 23, no. 6, 1997, p. 469-473. Melissa Lamont is Data Librarian at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Lisa Wishard was selected for her paper titled "Where in the world? Finding Meteorological and Climatological Data" published in Geoscience Information Society Proceedings, vol. 27, 1996, p. 63-77 under her former name, Lisa A. Recupero. Lisa Wishard is Earth and Mineral Sciences Librarian at Pennsylvania State University.

 The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at http://www.geoinfo.org.

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GEOSCIENCE INFORMATION SOCIETY ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

DAVIS, CA. Lois Heiser and Shaun Hardy have been elected new officers of the Geoscience Information Society. Lois Heiser will take office as Vice-President/President-Elect at the conclusion of the October 1998 meeting of the Society in Toronto. Shaun Har dy will take office as Secretary.

Lois Heiser is the Head of the Geology Library at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Shaun Hardy is Librarian of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at http://www.geoinfo.org.

NASA Atlas of the Solar System Wins GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award

DAVIS, CA. The NASA Atlas of the Solar System has been selected to receive the 1998 GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award. Ronald Greeley and Raymond Batson are the authors of this reference work published by Cambridge University Press in 1997. Th e award includes a $500 prize and will be formally presented in October at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Toronto.

The Geoscience Information Society has presented the GIS-Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award annually since 1988. The award honors an outstanding reference work published in the field of geoscience information during the previous three years. The con tents of The NASA Atlas of the Solar System are unique and include maps, photographs and summaries of the findings from the last twenty-five years of solar system exploration. It is a well-rounded introduction to the Solar System with a good glossary, list of planetary missions, and an excellent gazetteer of named features on the planets, ast eroids, and moons. The index has three types of terms: planetary bodies; features that appear on maps and images of the bodies; and proper names of spacecraft, missions, and individuals. The user can find which bodies show evidence of some process in addition to the more usual searches for specific features.

The Geoscience Information Society is an international professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the earth sciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website at http://www.geoinfo.org.

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GEOSCIENCE INFORMATION SOCIETY CONDUCTS PRESERVATION SURVEY

DAVIS, CA. The Geoscience Information Society Preservation Committee is conducting a survey to determine what geoscience literature needs preservation efforts and to gather information about current preservation activities in geoscience institutions. This survey is part of the Committee's efforts to raise awareness of the issues related to preservation of geoscience literature as well as to explore some of the existing preservation technologies.

The brief survey inquires about the preservation activities occurring at institutions around the world and the material which institutions have identified that would benefit from preservation treatment. The Committee would like to encourage institutions t hat did not receive a survey in the mail to share their concerns regarding the preservation of geoscience literature by completing the survey online at http://vector.gis.psu.edu/emsl/guides/GIS/survey.html. Responses via email (LAR14@PSU.EDU), fax ((814) 865-1379), or Ariel (128.118.152.150) are also welcomed. The survey should take a short time to complete and will assist planning for the preservation of the literature of the geosciences for the future.

 The survey is the result of the objectives proposed in the 1996 Geoscience Information Society Preservation Committee Action Plan for the Preservation of the Geoscience Literature. (The Action Plan can be viewed online at http://vector.gis.psu.edu/emsl/guides/GIS/gispcplan.html.) If you have questions regarding the survey or the activities of the Geoscience Information Society please contact Lisa Wishard or Linda Musser, Committee co-chairs.

Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather Wins 1997 GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award

DAVIS, CA. The Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather has been selected to receive the 1997 GIS/Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award. Stephen H. Schneider was the editor-in- chief of the two volume work published by Oxford University Press in 1996. The award will be formally presented in October at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Salt Lake City. A cash prize provided by Mary B. Ansari is also presented to the award the winner.

The Geoscience Information Society has presented the GIS-Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award annually since 1988. The award honors an outstanding reference work published in the field of geoscience information during the previous three years. According to Joanne V. Lerud, chair of the GIS Best Reference Committee, The En cyclopedia of Climate and Weather is a useful adjunct to Fairbridge's earlier work Encyclopedia of Climatology. Schneider's encyclopedia was deliberately designed to include the wide range of natural scientific subjects, as well as the social sciences th at have contributed to the understanding of the cause of weather and climate change and their effects on environment and society. It is designed to reach a broad audience. The quality of the index is excellent. The work has both diversity and authority, with many topic editors from the the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

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Linda L. Hill Wins 1997 Geoscience Information Society Best Paper Award

DAVIS, CA. Linda L. Hill has been selected to receive the 1997 Geoscience Information Society Best Paper Award for her paper titled "Stocking the Digital Library with Georeferenced Data." It was published in the Geoscience Information Proceedings (v.26, p. 11-17, ISBN: 0-934485-26-7) and was based on a talk she gave in November 1995 at the Geoscience Information Society Symposium held at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America meeting in New Orleans. The award (a certificate) will be formally presented in October at the annual meeting of the Geoscience Information Society in Salt Lake City. The Geoscience Information Society has presented its Best Paper Award annually since 1986. The award honors the best paper published in the field of geoscience information during the previous year. According to Louise Zipp (Iowa State University), Chair of theBest Paper Award Committee, "Hill's paper links digital libraries with traditional library collections by relating metadata for geospatial information to the MARC record. Her discussion of the evolving standards for metadata provides a timely and accessible explanation for librarians and information managers alike." Dr. Hill is currently a Research Specialist with the Alexandria Digital Library Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She received her PhD in Library Science from the School of Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh (1990) and her MLS from the University of Michigan (1971).

The Geoscience Information Society is a professional organization created to improve the exchange of information in the geosciences. To achieve this goal, GIS encourages interaction and cooperation among scientists, librarians, editors, cartographers, educators, and information professionals. More information about the Society may be found at the GIS website.

Go to GIS Best Paper Award