Introducing the Roger G. Barry Resource Office
for Cryospheric Studies (ROCS) at NSIDC
September 2009
The National Snow and Ice Data Center's Library and Analog Archives have a new name and a new presence. Please meet the new Roger G. Barry Resource Office for Cryospheric Studies (ROCS) at NSIDC. With the new name comes a new effort to make these collections visible and accessible to external audiences.
Overview
ROCS at NSIDC is an information resource for people studying Earth's frozen regions, the history of science, or past climate as related to the cryosphere. ROCS offers a small but deep set of collections specializing in cryospheric sciences and the history of cryospheric research.
The ROCS Information Center holds more than 44,000 cryospheric-related monographs, serials, journal articles, reprints, videos, maps, atlases, and CD-ROMs. We currently receive over 50 periodicals and newsletters relating to the cryosphere and to remote sensing of ice and snow, with online access to many more. Among its collections, researchers will find rare items available only in a few libraries around the world (if at all). Much of the information available relates to both the science and the story of the scientists.
The ROCS Archives specializes in analog science data and scientific materials, including thousands of maps, photographic prints, negatives and microfilm, expedition journals, and more items of interest to researchers, University of Colorado students and faculty, and anyone interested in the history of polar research, history of glacier photography, and the study of the cryosphere.
History of the Archives and Information Center
In 1957, the collections were begun as part of the U.S. World Data Center for Glaciology, charged with archiving scientific data and records from the 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year. At that time, scientific records were in analog format, mainly paper and film. In 1976, the center moved to its current location at the University of Colorado in Boulder under the direction of former NSIDC Director Dr. Roger G. Barry. ROCS is named for Dr. Barry, who has dedicated much of his career to building and supporting the library and analog archives collections. See the Roger Barry Biography and the Roger Barry Symposium Keynote for more information about Dr. Barry and his research.
More About ROCS @ NSIDC
At the new ROCS web site you can learn more about the services offered and where we are located. In addition, you will find descriptions of some of our archives holdings here, and links to access some of our digitized materials, such as glacier photographs. Users will also find contact information for our professional ROCS staff. Our librarian and archivist are available to assist you with the contents of our collections and with information and reference searches regarding the cryosphere and its scientific history. Future plans include creating online access to the library and analog archives catalog records, so anyone outside of NSIDC can search the collections.
