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Library and Information Services in Astronomy III
ASP Conference Series, Vol. 153, 1998
U. Grothkopf, H. Andernach, S. Stevens­Rayburn, and M. Gomez (e
Ö Copyright 1998 Astronomical Society of the Pacific. All rights reserved.
ds.)
The Document Resources of Purple Mountain
Observatory Library
Zhang Jian and Yuan Cuilan
Purple Mountain Observatory, Academia Sinica, Nanjing 210008,
China, e­mail: library@nanjing.jspta.chinamail.sprint.com
Abstract. This article includes a general overview of the Purple Moun­
tain Observatory (PMO) followed by a description of the document re­
sources held in the Observatory Library. The paper finishes with a dis­
cussion of the major role the Library has played in assisting Chinese
astronomical research since 1935, and the methods used to achieve this
level of assistance.
The Purple Mountain Observatory, Academia Sinica, is situated on the
third peak of picturesque Purple Mountain which is on the eastern outskirts of
Nanjing. It stands 267 meters above sea level at longitude 118 degrees 49'E and
latitude 32 degrees 04'N.
The PMO has a long history. The predecessor of the Observatory was the
National Research Institute of Astronomy in the former Academia Sinica and its
observing site, the PMO. The Research Institute of Astronomy was established
in February, 1928 and the PMO was completed on September 1, 1934. After
the founding of the People's Republic of China, on May 20, 1950 the Research
Institute of Astronomy was renamed as the PMO, Academia Sinica.
The PMO was the first modern Chinese observatory and its founding marked
the commencement of new methods of astronomical research in our country. The
Observatory is still considered ``the cradle of the modern astronomy in China'',
as PMO had administered all the observatories and stations in China until July
1962.
The Observatory now specialises in research on astrophysics, celestial me­
chanics, astrometry, radio astronomy and space astronomy. At present it has
over 200 scientific and technical personnel. During the organizational reform
of the Observatory in 1997, six Departments were established. They are: the
Radio Astronomy Laboratory, Space Astronomy Laboratory, the Department of
Astrophysics, the Department of Celestial Mechanics, Astronomical Technology
Centre and Astronomical Information Centre. The Observatory is also responsi­
ble for the editing of several di#erent publications including: Acta Astronomica
Sinica, Publications of Purple Mountain Observatory, the Chinese Astronomical
Ephemeris and others.
The Observatory Library was established in 1935. At that time it had
over 6000 books and periodicals. Since that time, due to the e#orts of the
astronomers and librarians, the present collection has over 25000 books and
more than 30000 bound volumes of periodicals, most of them being astronomical
books and astronomical periodicals.
307

308 Z. Jian and Y. Cuilan
More than 200 di#erent astronomical periodicals which are now published
abroad can be found in the Observatory Library. The Library has complete sets
of some titles such as Astrophysical Journal and Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society. In addition to the books and publications there are a lot of
the Atlases of stars on film and in electronic format in the Library. For example,
Palomar Observatory ­ European Southern Observatory Photographic Atlas of
the Northern Sky, SERC ­ EJ (Equatorial J) Atlas on film, the Digitized Sky
Survey on 101 CD­ROMs, to name but a few. The Library also has some books of
ancient Chinese astronomy. As far as we know, the astronomical materials of the
Library are the most comprehensive collection within China and so the Library
has become a major center of astronomical materials. For several years we
have been deeply aware that the relationship between researchers and libraries
is the same as the one between fish and water. They depend on each other.
Our researchers need di#erent kinds of astronomical books while performing
their work. If we want to attain important astronomical books we also need
the assistance of astronomers. In the 1980s the astronomers who studied abroad
obtained a lot of astronomical publications which had been lost in the mail. With
the assistance of astronomers the Library exchanges publications with about
200 astronomical organizations in nearly 40 countries. For several years we have
also received many astronomical books and publications which are given free
by astronomical organizations and astronomers at home and abroad, especially
the IAU, Astronomical Society of Pacific (USA) and The Royal Astronomical
Society (UK) and so on. We express here our heartfelt thanks for their help on
behalf of all astronomers and librarians in China.
In the Library, we suggest that the astronomers sign their names in the
books which are donated by them so that more people will know the astronomers'
fine qualities. Their books are kept in our Library and used by other researchers
for a long time. The constantly rising prices of all publications published both
at home and abroad in recent years causes us concern and our Library su#ers
from financial di#culties. In order to ensure the main astronomical books and
periodicals continue in the Library, we have taken the following initiatives. For
one thing we propose our government departments increase investment for the
Library. For another we encourage the exchange of astronomical publications
with astronomical organizations worldwide. We also encourage interaction and
communication among astronomy librarians, and contact between astronomers
and our librarians.
We need a lot of duplicates or remains of books in the libraries for as­
tronomers to play an important role in astronomical research in China. We
will continue to build our Library into the real astronomical materials center of
China to serve all astronomers everywhere.
Acknowledgments. We thank Jeanette Regan for her help.