Librarians to the Stars
Welcome to the home page for ALOHA (Astronomy Librarians of Hawaii Association), where the observatory librarians of astronomical institutes in Hawaii gather to share information. The member libraries and their wizards of information management are listed below, along with links to the existing online library web pages at these institutions.
Mauna Kea Information |Member Libraries | Meeting Minutes | Journals Available at Member Institutions

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Library and Information Services in Astronomy (LISA)
LISA conference pages, proceedings, and photo galleries.

Member Libraries
CFHT logo Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Library, located at the base facility in Kamuela on the Big Island, has been in existence since 1980 and maintains a vital collection of 6,000 volumes with access to over one hundred scientific databases located around the globe. In addition, there is a small, technical library at the observatory's site, an elevation in excess of 13,000 feet. CFHT's librarian, Elizabeth Bryson, established the International Astronomy Meetings list. The list is currently archived and maintained by the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre of the National Research Council of Canada's Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics. Liz retired in 2011.

Gemini logo Gemini North Observatory and JAC logo Joint Astronomy Centre

The Gemini North Observatory library is located at the Gemini North Operations Center, in the University Park area in Hilo, Hawaii. It was established in 1999 and is focused primarily on engineering. The JAC library is located at the Joint Astronomy Centre, also in the University Park area. This is an established library with primarily scientific materials. The Gemini/JAC library email is: library at gemini dot edu

IfA logo Institute for Astronomy

The University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA) is located in Manoa Valley, a half-mile north of the UH Manoa campus. Founded in 1967, the IfA is responsible for the development and management of the Mauna Kea Science Reserve and the Haleakala High Altitude Observatory Site. It operates solar and laser-ranging facilities on Haleakala, and several observatories on Mauna Kea. The Astronomy Graduate Program of the University of Hawaii, founded in 1972, has over 25 students currently enrolled in the doctoral program. Over 60 astronomy PhD degrees have been awarded since the program was founded. The IfA is also an important center of instrument development. All the major instruments on the University of Hawaii's own telescopes (the 2.2-meter on Mauna Kea and the Mees Observatory on Haleakala) have been built in the workshops of the Institute for Astronomy. So, too, are the cameras and spectrographs used on the 3-meter Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) that the IfA operates for NASA on Mauna Kea. The Institute for Astronomy is currently building major instruments t the summit of for Hawaii telescopes. A new branch of the IfA has opened in Hilo. Kathleen Robertson, IfA Librarian, supports the research, instrument development, and graduate programs of the IfA, using traditional and electronic resources. She can be reached at library at ifa dot hawaii dot edu

Keck logo Keck Observatory

The W.M. Keck Observatory Library is located at the headquarters campus in Kamuela, Hawaii. The primary focus (intentional pun) of the library is reference and research support for the engineers, technicians and administrative staff that maintain and operate the telescopes. Collections include engineering and architectural drawings, O&M manuals, reports and technical notes, and engineering and astronomical reference. Librarian Peggi Kamisato can be reached via email at: kamisato at keck dot hawaii dot edu

Mauna Kea Observatory

The Onizuka Center for International Astronomy is the mid-level facility located at the 9,000 foot level of Mauna Kea. It is managed by the Mauna Kea Observatories Support Services, a consortia consisting of all the telescope institutions located on the mountain. The library is part of the facilities made available to the astronomers and technicians who work for the contributing observatories. The collection is primarily journals, photographic atlases, and conference reports in relevant subject areas. The library is served on a contract basis, with one weekly visit to the site itself by Librarian Gaila Vidunas.

Subaru logo Subaru Observatory

The Subaru Telescope Library is located at the Subaru Telescope Base Facilities in the University of Hawaii at Hilo Technology Park, Hilo, Hawaii. Adjoining observatories are the Institute for Astronomy (IfA), Joint Astronomy Center (JAC) and Gemini North. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) has run the library since the establishment of Subaru Telescope in Hilo in 1997. The library exists solo on a foreign site in addition to other NAOJ branch libraries including the main library at NAOJ headquarters in Mitaka, Japan. The NAOJ libraries share resources such as the OPAC and an integrated database system. The Subaru Telescope library houses books and journal collections on astronomy, physics, mathematics, computer science, and other reference materials to support the research program of the telescope. Emiko Tsang can be reached via email at: emiko at naoj dot org

Corrections, changes and suggestions to: library at ifa dot hawaii dot edu
Last checked/updated: 12 March 2013