New Database Enhances Access to Geological Survey Publications

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) has launched a new online resource, the Geological Surveys Database, to enhance public discovery of reliable geoscience information. This new database provides a state-of-the-art portal for decision-makers and others to search and discover state geological survey publications and USGS factsheets.

AGI’s New Resource

The Geological Surveys Database is the latest in a collection of high-quality information products from AGI. Improving public discovery and access to material from the geological surveys is a core part of AGI’s mission of connecting people and the geosciences, and we’re excited to highlight the work that they are doing," said AGI Executive Director Allyson Anderson Book.

This database is a collaborative effort between AGI’s Critical Issues program, GeoRef, and the state geological surveys to increase the discoverability and use of geological survey publications. The Geological Surveys Database provides users with an improved interface, including the ability to search against structured metadata (e.g., title, author, notes, etc.) that have been developed by GeoRef and supplemented with state geological survey data, as well as full-text searching of publications.

Users can also employ the geographic search interface to find geo-coded publications, browse publications by author, topic, or geological survey, and filter search results with on-the-fly filters. Users can also export citations, create custom lists, save custom searches, create notes and comments on database records.

Integration With Critical Issues Website

The Geological Surveys Database is seamlessly integrated into AGI’s Critical Issues webpages so that users can find relevant state survey publications and USGS factsheets as they browse Critical Issues-based content. The Critical Issues website also hosts a Quick Search portal which allows users to search the entire Geological Surveys Database to find the ten most relevant publications related to their search terms.