UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Purpose of the GSIS Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks Committee

1. Identify geologic field trip guidebooks that fall within the scope of the Geologic Guidebooks Database (http://www.agiweb.org/georef/onlinedb/gnaintro) and submit the relevant information about them for inclusion into the database.

2. Resolve questions about the description of geologic field trip guidebooks in the database.

3. Collaborate with AGI to facilitate indexing of geologic field trip guidebooks in the database and in Georef.

4. Provide information to GSIS and AGI on matters pertaining to geologic field trip guidebooks, a unique form of "grey literature," of special importance to the geosciences.

5. Disseminate standards for guidebooks that promote discovery, durability, and accessibility. When necessary, the Guidebooks Committee reviews and updates the standards.

6. Has a subcommittee that selects and presents the annual "Best Guidebook Award" at the annual meeting.

Link to information about the Guidebooks Committee (GSIS President's Handbook, p. 63) and the Geoscience Information Society (GSIS)

Committee Members

"The Chair of the Committee is appointed by the President of GSIS for a two-year term (renewable as appropriate). Other members are appointed by the President. Generally, appointments are for two years with no limits on the number of terms a member may serve on the committee. Members of the Guidebook Standards Subcommittee will serve as members of this committee." (President's Handbook, p. 63)

Link to list of current committee members

Best Guidebook Award

Each year, a subcommittee of the Guidebooks Committe selects a guidebook to receive the Best Guidebook Award. The award is presented at the annual joint meeting of Geoscience Information Society and Geological Society of America. Nominations for the award are solicited via the Geonet list group, and the GSIS Newsletter, generally starting in April. The time period under consideration is generally guidebooks published during the two years prior to the current calendar year. For example, for the 2011 award, guidebooks published during 2009 and 2010 are considered for the award.

Criteria for selection for the award include adherance to the Guidelines for Authors, Editors, and Publishers of Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks , revised 2005. This document is available on the web. To be eligible for the award, a guidebook most include some method of replicating the trip, such as a road log or GPS coordinates.

Link to past winners of the award

Guidebook Standards

"GSIS encourages guidebook editors and compilers to include specific information on the cover and preliminary

pages of every guidebook so that this important literature can be identified, acquired, and used by the

geoscience community. The following guidelines are intended to ensure that your guidebook contains the

essential components to become an identifiable and permanent part of the geoscience literature." (From the Guidelines for Authors...., 2005)

Link to the Guidelines for Authors, Editors, and Publishers of Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks , revised 2005.

Geologic Guidebooks of North America database

This is a free, searchable database.

"Field trip guidebooks are a significant contribution to geoscience literature. They are often the most current or

only synopsis of an area's geology, and as such, are essential to researchers and students. Guidebooks may be

difficult to locate because casual references to guidebooks may simply describe the area investigated and the

name of the society or meeting associated with the field trip and/or guidebook.

An aid to identifying field trip guidebooks, the web version of Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks of North America

http://www.agiweb.org/georef/onlinedb/gnaintro, is being cooperatively compiled by members of the

Geoscience Information Society (GSIS) and the American Geological Institute." (From the Guidelines for Authors...., 2005)

The committee asks the help of librarians, trip leaders, and authors of guidebooks to report new titles and titles missing from the database. See the following for more information: Help from Leaders/Authors | Help from Librarians

Link to Geologic Guidebooks of North America database

Return to GSIS Guidebooks Committee Home Page

Created 4/18/2011 by Lura Joseph

Revised 4/28/2011