*** Resending note of 03/24/95 14:01
 
PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED.
 
We have enabled TELNET access to our database! Our address is
SIRIS.SI.EDU - both VT100 and TN3270 are available, but TN3270 is
better. Our numeric address is scheduled to change, so I'm not giving it
here.
 
The Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) is a
computerized collection of research catalogs maintained by the
Smithsonian Institution's Libraries, Archives, and Research Units.
 
Presently there are four catalogs available on SIRIS:
 
LIB: The Smithsonian Library Catalog
 
     The collections are particularly strong in Natural History, Tropical
     Biology, African American Ethnology and Culture, Astrophysics,
     Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, American History, the History
     of Science and Technology, Aviation and Space Flight, Postal
     History, Fine Arts and Design, African Art, Horticulture, Conservation
     Science, Chesapeake Bay Area Ecology, and Museum Administration. In
     addition, the Library holds a large collection of manufacturers'
     trade literature and catalogs and historically important rare
     books and manuscripts. This database contains approximately 500,000
     records.
 
ARI: The Art Inventories Catalog
 
     Data for the Art Inventories Catalog is designed to assist
     researchers in locating American paintings and sculpture. Data
     has been compiled from reports supplied by private collectors,
     museums, corporate collectors, and public art programs. The
     database is divided into two subcatalogs for paintings and
     sculpture which can be searched together or separately.
 
     The Inventory of American Paintings Executed before 1914 is a
     national census of paintings created by American artists working
     prior to 1914. There are approximately 300,000 paintings
     represented.
 
     The Inventory of American Sculpture is a national census of
     works created by artists born or active in the United States up
     through the 20th century. There are approximately 50,000
     sculptures represented.
 
ARC: The Archives and Manuscripts Catalog
 
     This database consists of approximately 90,000 records contributed
     by five archival units of the Smithsonian. The subcatalogs
     listed below can be searched together or separately.
 
     The Archives of American Art (AAA) catalog descibes papers of
     artists, art dealers, art historians, collectors, and others;
     records of art galleries, museums, and art organizations; videos;
     and interviews from AAA's oral history project.
 
     The Achives Center of the National Museum of American History
     (ACAH) catalog descibes hundreds of collections of manuscripts
     and visual, magnetic and electronic documents related to the
     mission of the National Museum of American History, especially
     the history of advertising, history of technology, and social
     and cultural history, as well as selected individual items.
 
     The Human Studies Film Archives (HSFA) catalog describes film
     and video collections of historical, archeological, and
     ethnographic significance, including edited ethnographic films,
     unique research footage produced as part of anthropological
     research, and travelogues by amateur and professional filmakers.
 
     The National Anthropological Archives (NAA) catalog describes
     collections of historical manuscripts relating to North American
     natives; administrative records of the Dept. of Anthropology;
     prefessional papers of anthropologists; records of anthropological
     organizations; art work; and photographs.
 
     The Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) catalog descibes
     records documenting the history of the Smithsonian Institution
     since its fouding in 1846; research in the fields of science,
     art and history; papers of staff; records of scientific, historical,
     and museum organizations; and audio-visual material from research,
     exhibits, and its oral history and video-history programs.
 
BIB: The Research/Bibliographies Catalog
 
     This database descibes specialized research bibliographies.
     Currently references are limited to two subject areas:
 
     The Center for Museum Studies' Museum Studies Database which
     includes theses and dissertations in the area of Museum Studies,
     articals indexed from the ALI-ABA proceedings and course of Study
     in Museum Administration, and from the Journal of Museum Education.
 
     COMING SOON:
     The Cephalopod Bibliographic Catalog describes publications about
     cephalopods (squid, octopus, cuttlefish, etc.) and cephalopod related
     subjects (predators, prey, etc.). The bibliography comprises
     publications located at the Division of Mollusks of the National
     Museum of Natural History. This bibliography is an ongoing effort
     which actively solicits input from users.
 
We are still adding functionality as well as data. In the near future we
will have our Z39.50 gateway running, and hopefully at some point after
that we will turn our attention to presenting multimedia via the MARC
856 tag and possibly Web access to the catalog. More archival units will
probably be added, and additional focused Reasearch/Bibliographies will
be added.
 
That's SIRIS.SI.EDU.
 
  --- The Smithsonian Institution Research Information System ---
George Bowman                               Arts & Industries 2310
irmge010 @ sivm.bitnet    v:(202)357-4238   900 Jefferson Dr, S.W.
irmge010 @ sivm.si.edu    f:(202)786-2687   Washington, D.C. 20560