National Geographic Society

Added by Karen Huffman, last edited by Karen Huffman on Jan 27, 2009  (view change)

 

Welcome to National Geographic Libraries & Information Services Virtual Library Tour

In 120 years we've gone from reporting on "the world and all that's in it" to "putting down roots all over the world." The opportunity and challenge for the organization and LIS is to more fully integrate partners and satellite offices.

Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society strives to inspire us to care about the planet and its peoples by diffusing geographic knowledge. The libraries have always been part of that mission, opening to the public in 1920 when the first trained librarian organized the book collection geographically. Today's collections include not only books, magazines, records, and archival content but also an ever-expanding digital collection that aims to meet the changing needs of the Society's editorial and business staff. National Geographic's Libraries & Information Services (LIS) is responsible for selecting, synthesizing, and analyzing information; providing essential content to the desktop via the Intranet as well as access to its physical working collection; managing business records to meet the Society's legal responsibilities; interpreting and preserving the Society's heritage; indexing Society content; and managing the Society's intranet and its corporate university. Susan Fifer Canby, vice president of the division, positions the staff to work in the white space of the organizational chart. LIS seeks to act as a change agent in the organization, leverage technology to improve productivity, and, ultimately, enable corporate growth by transforming how knowledge is shared at National Geographic.

For more information about our past, see History of National Geographic Libraries.

National Geographic Society's Libraries & Information Services
(view as slideshow)
           
  The National Geographic, its partners, and its affiliates are expanding globally.   Headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., just a few blocks north of the White House, with entrances on 16th, 17th, and M Streets NW.   The Libraries are in the 16th Street & M Street buildings.   There's no telling what you might encounter when you visit the National Geographic Society.   Our staff of 26 is dedicated to providing the Society's staff and partners with the best information sources to enable them to work anytime, anywhere, in an increasingly dynamic global environment.  
 
           
  LIS collections reflect the needs and interests of the staff who use them. The book and periodical collections focus on serving the current business and editorial needs of our users.   The news collection, started in the 1940s, often provides details and photos that electronic sources still don't offer.   Our second floor reference desk provides staff with research assistance related to archival materials, business records, and a news collection.   LIS staffs two reference desks. Librarians at the first floor desk provide reference, research, and indexing services to the staff. They are also available to the public by appointment, from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. Monday though Friday.   LIS mentors approximately five wonderful volunteers and academic interns every semester who assist with projects and collections.  
 
           
  Archives and special collections include the historical business and editorial records of the Society. The rare book collection comprises 1,200 volumes. Access by the public is through written request only.   LIS manages the active business and legal records associated with Society publications and products.   Working closely with the Communications and IS&T divisions, LIS built and manages National Geographic's Corporate Intranet, NG Insider.   LIS also supports the development of intranet-based resources, division, and team spaces.   The libraries home page displays the many facets of our division - our expertise, products, and services, both physical and virtual.  
 
           
  We publish a business intelligence report (BIR) along with other news reports daily through our corporate intranet's home page.   LIS compiles two science-related weekly publications, Earth Current and Environmental Newsletter, to support the editorial staff and the Society's green efforts. Both are published electronically.   NG archivists author the NG TimeLine, a chronicle of the Society's history as it unfolds year by year. Stories are written based on the questions LIS receives about the people, expeditions, and products that create the fabric of the Society's rich hist   LIS has led way for NGS staff to use Web 2.0 technologies such as RSS, podcasts, wikis, blogs, and other social networking tools.   We podcast news stories as well as excerpts from moments in NG history using our in-house studio.  
 
           
  Through the Women Explorers Initiative wiki, we built a virtual resource center for information about women adventurers, travelers, scientists, photographers, filmmakers, and writers.   Through an internal blog, we lead a cross-divisional Trends Analysis Group (TAG) that seeks to identify and report on trends and trend makers.   We developed a place for NGS collectors to collaborate and share information about National Geographic (http://ngscollectors.ning.com).   LIS oversees the Society's corporate learning program, National Geographic Learning Systems, offering numerous classes in multiple formats for many different types of audiences.   We converted part of our periodicals collection space into a wireless Learning Lab, which is used by the whole Society for hands-on classes, webcasts, and other training.  
 
           
  LIS actively markets new resources, products, and services through multiple channels and formats; here we are making a pitch in the cafeteria.   LIS annually leads a cross-divisional team in organizing Learning Day, an event aimed at showcasing and promoting learning opportunities at NGS.   Learning Day invites staff for free coffee and doughnuts AND a chance to navigate to new learning opportunities.   "Love Your Libraries Day" (also known as Valentine's Day) is an opportunity for us to show our patrons that the feeling is mutual!   If you'd like a physical tour of the NGS Libraries, call (202) 857-7783 or contact us via library@ngs.org.  
 

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  1. Jun 23, 2008

    Rosa Liu says:

    Susan and Karen wonderful tour attractive presentation and educational content\!...

    Susan and Karen - wonderful tour - attractive presentation and educational content!  Rosa, NIST