Telnet Smithsonian

TELNET to Smithsonian research catalogs

We have enabled TELNET access to our database! Our address is SIRIS.SI.EDU - both VT100 and TN3270 are available, but TN3270 is better.

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.

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 the Office of Museum Programs' Museum Studies Database which includes theses and dissertations in the area of Museum Studies, articles indexed from the ALI-ABA proceedings and course of Study in Museum Administration, and from the Journal of Museum Education.

Naturally 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, including the Cephalopod database which is almost ready now.

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

Information provider:
Unit: H-Net program at UIC History Department Email: H-Net@uicvm.uic.edu
Posted: 11 Feb 1995

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