Orateurs
Description
The cultural heritage of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) includes about 7000 rare books, more than three million archival documents, and over a thousand scientific instruments. These collections represent the most important milestones of Italian astronomical history. In order to valorize this historical heritage for the widest audience, INAF has created "Polvere di Stelle" (Stardust), a web portal dedicated to Italian astronomical libraries, archives, and museums. The portal offers tools and databases to facilitate astronomical research and increase knowledge of one of the richest astronomical legacies in the world. In a single virtual location, it provides useful tools for sharing digital resources and services for current research. The portal allows researchers and the general public to search the bibliographies of books and periodicals, ancient and modern, and other databases including manuscripts, instruments, archives, biographies of astronomers, and all the events dedicated to the promotion of this heritage. An important part of the portal is also a digital showcase for rare books.
