July 11, 2017
Amanda Nelson, Archivist
We are very pleased to announce that the Physics History Network (PHN) is now live and available for use! It is linked on the left hand side of all AIP Niels Bohr Library & Archives’ web pages.
The Physics History Network is an update to the Center for History of Physics’ Array of Contemporary American Physicists (ACAP), a biographical resource that shows links between physicists, where they worked, and what they created. All of the information in the resource is from vetted sources and we welcome feedback for any issues you come across. For more about our migration process see our blog post: New changes coming soon to ACAP.
Here is a quick rundown of some changes and what to look for in the months ahead:
New features of the Physics History Network (http://history.aip.org/phn)
- Full text searchable using the search box at the top left of every page
- Browseable by subject area and places as well as person or institution
- All profiles have navigation menus on the right hand side of the page to allow for easy navigation and “Back to Top” buttons to help move around the profile without scrolling
- People and Institution profiles have a “Relationships” section that shows the people and institutions affiliated with the profile along with descriptive notes
- Similar relationships are grouped together
- People and institutions with PHN profiles are blue and link to their profile
- Institution profiles have additional information including institutional histories and lists of past presidents/chairmen
- Resources include those available in our library and archive’s online catalogs
- Published resources (books, articles, etc.) link to WorldCat records so you can find it at a library near you
- Unpublished resources (archival materials, audio recordings, etc.) link to finding aids or the resource itself, when available
- Physics Today obituaries are included, when available
- The website is scalable and viewable from all mobile devices
Coming soon
- We are going to be adding new profiles to the resource
- Our first effort is to ensure all Nobel winners in physics and related fields are included
- Video tutorial to show all the features above and the resource itself
- Keep an eye on our social media (@AIPhistory) as we share some Physics History Network "PHN facts" that we’ve learned about the physicists during our process of updating the resource
Happy Researching!