The International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers

The International Association of Aquatic and Merine Science Libraries and Information Center is established in 1975 under the name East Coast Merine Science Librarians (ECMSL). The International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Data Centers (IAMSLIC) is an association of individuals and organizations interested in library and data science, especially as these are applied to the recording, retrieval and dissemination of knowledge and information in all condition of aquatic and marine sciences and their allied disciplines. The newly-hired librarian at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), & librarian at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), sponsored the first affair of marine science librarians from the east coast of the US and Canada. Twenty-three librarians from the US, Canada, and Bermuda met for two days to confer mutual cooperation. Local attendees from MBL, WHOI and the National Marine Fisheries Center had grown the number to 49. The first projects advised included a directory of the ECSML with a confession of their projects a union list of oceanographic atlases distributing of serial lists and a duplicate exchange clearinghouse. We migrated behind to Woods Hole in 1999 for our 25th meeting. From there we enduring our globe-trotting and went on to gather conferences in Victoria, British Columbia, Brest, France, Mazatlan, Mexico, Mystic, Connecticut, Hobart, Tasmania, Rome, Italy, Portland, Oregon, and Florida. What a busy and productive ten years. There are now six regional associations AFRIAMSLIC, Cyamus, EURASLIC, Regional Latin-American, Pacific Islands, and SAIL. We continue to reach out to colleagues from evolving countries with our “Sponsored Membership” schedule and we are 385 members strong. The International Cooperation Committee was formed in 1986, to promote international cooperation among aquatic science libraries.