Guide to the Planetary Data Center records, circa 1976-1982

John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2013

Collection Overview

Title:	Planetary Data Center records
Date range:	circa 1976-1982
Creator:	Brown University. Northeast Planetary Data Center.
Extent:	1.0 linear foot
Abstract:	The Planetary Data Center records contains general office files, newsletters, minutes of meetings, statistics, lists of equipment and other materials related to the operation of the Center. Materials date from 1976 to 1982.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library , Special Collections
Collection number:	OF.1X.12

Scope & content

The Planetary Data Center records contain office files related to the Center's operation from circa 1976 to 1982. The records have been organized into one series: Series I, Office files, contains general office files, newsletters, minutes of meetings, statistics, lists of equipment and other materials.

Access Points

Subject Organizations

• Brown University. Dept. of Geological Sciences. Planetary Geology Group.

Subject Topics

• Education
• Planets--Geology--Research
• Planets--Research

Document Types

• Newsletters
• Office files

Subject Topics

• Education

Arrangement

The Planetary Data Center records are organized in one series: I. Office files, circa 1976-1982.

Administrative History

The Planetary Data Center at Brown University opened in the spring of 1981 in the Sciences Library at Brown. It was dedicated to the memory of Thomas A. Mutch, who was the founder of Brown's planetary geology group. Professor James Head was its first director. In 1984 the Center was moved to the Lincoln Field Building on the Brown campus.

The Planetary Data Center is now known as the Northeast Planetary Data Center. It provides planetary geology data to researchers, educators, media and the general public. It houses a vast amount of data obtained by the U.S. Space Program from 1962 to the present. The Data Center collection contains a wide range of primary sources including photographic prints, negatives, transparencies, maps, mission support documents, digital media and scientific reference books from the various NASA missions conducted over the past forty years. Several workstations are available, as well as film and paper scanners and printers.

The Center is operated through a cooperative agreement between NASA's Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program and Brown University. The Data Center is part of a network of Regional Planetary Image Facilities located throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Planetary Data Center records, OF-1X-12, Brown University Archives.
Contact information:	John Hay Library , Special Collections Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Brown University Library staff
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013 January 28
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
Sponsor:	Processing funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Additional Information

Inventory

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