Aeronautical and Astronautical Resources of the Library of Congress

[Varese2002]

To my surprise I found that the Library of Congress has recently finished a catalogue for researchers: Aeronautical and Astronautical Resources of the Library of Congress.

This is the press release of the book.

October 22, 2007
New Guide to Library's Air and Space Collections Is Published

The possibility of flight captured human imagination long before the Montgolfier brothers’ unmanned hot air balloon succeeded in carrying a duck, a rooster and a sheep above the city of Versailles in 1783. Before and after that date, people sketched, painted, photographed, sang about and described in words the ways a human being might fly like a bird. Each time someone achieved an advance in flight, the world took note. The record of these advances is described in "Aeronautical and Astronautical Resources of the Library of Congress: A Comprehensive Guide" by Ronald S. Wilkinson, John F. Buydos and others.

Funded in part by a gift from Abe and Julienne Krasnoff and by the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics (administered by the Library’s Science, Technology and Business Division), the guide surveys both the general and special collections.

"This comprehensive, annotated guide to the Library’s collections in the history of aeronautics and astronautics is the first of its kind since it deals not only with its special collections in those fields—such as its manuscripts, photographs, rare books and maps—but also with the deep and broad holdings in what might be described as the Library’s hidden giant, its general collections," wrote Leonard C. Bruno, the Library’s science manuscript specialist, in the book’s preface.

Joining the papers of the Wright brothers (given to the Library of Congress in 1949 by the Orville Wright estate) are papers documenting the activities of those engaged in military aeronautics, aircraft manufacture and flight to outer space. Pictorial materials relating to aeronautics and astronautics abound in the Library’s collections, which also include a surprising amount of related motion picture and music material. Aeronautical charts and maps present another aspect of the subject, as do oral histories and memorabilia donated to the Library’s Veterans History Project.

Anyone who has dreamed of browsing through the Library’s book stacks will enjoy John Buydos’ journey through its general collections. Here are many of the copyrighted books, pamphlets and periodicals that pertain to aeronautics and astronautics as well as materials gotten as gifts, through exchange or by purchase. Buydos considers each group as it is arranged by the Library of Congress classification system, beginning with bibliographies, encyclopedias and chronologies and continuing through U.S. and international periodicals, biographies and works on aeronautical engineering, military uses of aeronautics, space travel and more.

"Aeronautical and Astronautical Resources of the Library of Congress: A Comprehensive Guide," a 464-page paperback with 290 illustrations, is available for $29.95 from the Library’s Sales Shop, Washington, D.C. 20540-4985. Credit card orders can be taken at (888) 682-3557. Online orders can be place at The Library of Congress Shop. The publication is also available from the Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15250-7954. Fax orders to (202) 512-2250.

More information is on What's New in the Prints & Photographs Division (Prints and Photographs Reading Room, Library of Congress)
and
Government Gem: Aeronautical and Astronautical Resources « The Washington State Library

But .... ordering the book online from the Library of Congress is a pin on the nose It is possible only to the USA, UK, Australia and Canada, it is depressing Europeans on the mainland are excluded, not to speak of China, Japan, South America the Middle east, India etc.

(A little less) Cheers

Kees

[greatwarpilot]

Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the 'drome. I've got a copy on the way, and look forward to seeing how useful a text it is.

Cheers,

[Varese2002]

Originally Posted by greatwarpilot

Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the 'drome. I've got a copy on the way, and look forward to seeing how useful a text it is.

Cheers,

Edward, you are a lucky man to be able to order this online at the Library of Congress. As I said Europeans on the mainland are excluded from this facility .

Cheers

Kees

[joegertler]

Hi Kees;
I'd be happy to order another one for you and re-mail it to you, for actual costs. (I wish I had thought of it earlier, when I ordered one, after you helpfully posted the URL for us to order from. Just let me know by PM with your mailing address. I'll send you the FIRST one I ordered for myself, when it arrives, and wait for the second one..
I ALSO have an extra hardcover copy (new one) of Noffsinger's "World War One Aviation Books in English, An annotated Bibliography" 305 pp. if you are interested.

[greatwarpilot]

Well... top marks to the shipping department and FedEx. My copy of this text arrived this morning.

I have yet to go through the whole book in detail, but I thought I'd post some preliminary thoughts. And admittedly, they're mixed.

First of all, the format of the book is a tad on the inconvenient side. Its too deep to fit on a standard bookshelf for one. A minor point perhaps.

My major complaint is the way the inside of the text is laid out. It seems to me that the manuscript spent too much time at the layout department being infused with photographs, and not enough time with the archivists being turned into a detailed summary of the finding aids available. The damn thing seems to me, as if it was written to be read like a story, rather than used as a tool for researchers. Admittedly, it can be used either way, and perhaps they were trying to make the text appeal to a broader audience - an understandable goal.

That being said, the space taken up with superfluous photographs, illustrations and drawings could have been dedicated to a more useful and detailed summary of the finding aids for at least some of these documents. With over 450 large format pages, this could have been a real gem to researchers. As it is, I would argue, it still has some value but is generally a disappointment compared to my expectations of a "comprehensive guide".

[joegertler]

Hi Kees;
I sent you an email,yesterday with the cost of posting these books to you. If it is not worth doing, with the unfortunately high Postal fees, just let me know by email. The fact that the LOC book is so heavy, does not help.