Collections management plan for the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Data Library

The U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center has created a Data Library to organize, preserve, and make available the field, laboratory, and modeling data collected and processed by Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center staff. This Data Library supports current research efforts by providing unique, historic datasets with accompanying metadata. The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Data Library has custody of historic data and records that are still useful for research, and assists with preservation and distribution of marine science records and data in the course of scientific investigation and experimentation by researchers and staff at the science center. The data accession and retention policies employed by the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Data Library are based on scientific need and the National Archives and Records Administration standards for Federal records retention. Criteria for inclusion of data and records into the Data Library, the scope of the Data Library holdings, and operating procedures for the management and running of the library are designed to support the research operations of the U.S. Geological Survey. This report explains the roles and detailed responsibilities of library and scientific staff, and provides step-by-step instructions for managing the collections of the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Data Library. Introduction to the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Data Library The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) is colocated with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on the Quissett Campus in the village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The WHCMSC maintains laboratory facilities and a samples repository on this campus, as well as a warehouse facility, the USGS Marine Operations Facility (MOF), approximately 2 miles north of the Quissett Campus in the town of Falmouth, Mass. The MOF warehouse encompasses storage and equipment staging areas and the WHCMSC Data Library. Mission statement.—The mission of the WHCMSC Data Library is to organize, preserve, and make available for research purposes a historical record and archive of scientific data collected by WHCMSC personnel, as well as institutional records used by researchers. The Data Library provides access to U.S. Geological Survey Geocon, Inc. Terms in bold are defined in the glossary.