The Lawrence Jacobsen Library
Friends of the Library

Introduction

Welcome to the home page of the Friends of the Primate Center Library (FPCL). The FPCL was established to support the information programs of the library of the Wisconsin Primate Research Center (WPRC) at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Human stewardship of the earth's resources extends to nonhuman primates, the closest species to humans. Of the 245 extant species of prosimians, monkeys and apes, more than fifty percent are considered to be targets for conservation efforts. One in five is either endangered or critically endangered, meaning that without better protection they could become extinct in the next two decades. Primates are in difficulty in all 92 countries in which they live due to destruction of their forest habitat and human pressures. We are heading into the next century with a large proportion of primate species on the edge of extinction. What we do now to educate the public about their status and to preserve the record of their existence is critical to their preservation.

Through its unique collections and Internet programs -- Askprimate, Primate Info Net, Primate-Jobs, the International Directory of Primatology, and the Audiovisual Archive -- the has developed programs which both preserve the primate record and promote international information sharing among people interested in primate research, conservation and education.

Since 1973, the WPRC library has been the educational home for many students, faculty and visiting scientists, and has maintained a long-term commitment to the development of international information programs. In 1995, the Library received the Library of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Library Association.

Purpose

The purpose of the FPCL is to support the WPRC Library international information programs. All contributions are used to develop resources in primatology and to make them widely available. Projects include: (1) the development of collections, such as the Audiovisual Archive image and video collection, (2) the support of special projects, such as the Careers in Primatology educational materials, (3) the implementation of educational programs, such as the production and distribution of Primates, a teaching module covering primate taxonomy, behavior and conservation, (4) the development of web resources, and (5) the creation of a study site for visiting scholars to use both Center and UW collections.

For More Information

To obtain more information about the FPCL contact:
Dr. Gabriele Lubach
Assistant Scientist
Harlow Center for Biological Psychology
22 N. Charter Street
Madison, WI 53715
Phone: (608) 263-3533
Fax: (608) 262-6020
E-mail: lubach@primate.wisc.edu