The Catherine B. O'Connor Library at the Weston Observatory

Mission/Purpose | User Profile | Facilities | Services | Resources |
Research Guides

Mission/Purpose
Weston Observatory is a geophysical research laboratory of the Department of Geology and Geophysics at Boston College. The Observatory is located in the town of Weston, Massachusetts, about 13 miles west of downtown Boston. Weston Observatory is one of the premier geological observatories in the nation. Headquarters of a 19-station regional seismic network, the observatory records data on earthquakes in New England and throughout the world. The equipment at this premier research facility is also used in the instruction of undergraduate and graduate students at Boston College. The Catherine B. O'Connor Library at Weston Observatory houses a specialized collection of earth sciences monographs, periodicals, and maps, particularly in the areas of seismology, geology, and geophysics.

User Profile
The Weston Observatory serves the research faculty, staff, and graduate students of the Department of Geology and Geophysics. The library also provides research assistance for work done at the seismological observatory.

Facilities
The Weston Observatory is an interdisplinary research facility of the Department of Geology and Geophysics and a center for research in the fields of geophysics, geology, and related fields. Weston Observatory was one of the first participating facilities in the Worldwide Standardized Seismograph Network and operates a regional seismic network that records data on earthquakes in the northeast, as well as distant earthquakes. The facilities at Weston Observatory offer students a unique opportunity to work on exciting projects with modern, sophisticated, scientific research equipment in a number of different areas of scientific and environmental interest.

Services
The collection of the Catherine B. O'Connor Library is open to the public for on site use only. Photocoping and ILL services are available.

Resources
The Catherine B. O'Connor Library houses a Geoscience collection of nearly 7000 volumes, 30 journal subscriptions, and over 10,000 maps. There are about 150 Geoscience theses. There is a broad geologic coverage emphasizing seismology, geophysics, and geology. The maps are mostly USGS maps, geologic, and topographical with special coverage of New England and New York.

Research Guides
The Boston College Libraries research guide for Geology & Geophysics provides users with a select list of print and electronic reference sources.

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