What is the future of the International Tables?

Phil Coppens

The International Tables are among the oldest publications initiated by joint efforts of members of the international crystallographic community. The Hermann-Mauguin space group symbols became standard nomenclature in 1935 with the publication of the "Internationale Tabellen zur Bestimmung von Kristallstrukturen" edited by Hermann (with Sir William Bragg and M. von Laue as Honorary Editors), and planned by a Tables Committee with Astbury, Bernal, Hermann, Mauguin, Niggli and Wyckoff as members. In a separate effort Kathleen Yardley (later Lonsdale) published a bound reproduction of a fully handwritten compilation of the space-group-specific structure factor expressions, which were of tremendous help in the days of mechanical calculators and Beevers-Lipson strips. They were incorporated in the 1962 successor to the Internationale Tabellen, the well-known red-cover Volume I of Space Group Tables,  which was followed rapidly by Volumes II and III and later IV. Our current Volumes A and B and C are their successors, and cover much of the theory and practice of Crystallography. It is hard to imagine Crystallography being practised without at least one of the volumes of the International Tables.

It is therefore  imperative that the Tables are readily available everywhere. A lack of understanding between the publisher and some of the vendors, which caused a shortage of volumes A, B and C, especially in North America, appears now to have been resolved, and should not interfere with future distribution. We have been told that the just reprinted Volumes A and C will be widely available in the current year. Obviously, unnecessary difficulties in the distribution are not acceptable.

Both Volume B and C are currently being revised by their editors, Uri Shmueli and Arthur Wilson, but it appears likely that a reprint of Volume B will be needed this year before the revised edition is ready. The preparation of a completely new Volume D is well advanced under the Editorship of Andre Authier. It covers Physical Properties of Crystals and should be of great use to those of us who are interested in Solid State properties. A Volume E covering Subperiodic Symmetry Groups is being prepared by V. Kopsky and D. B. Litvin. The Union is thankful to the members of the Commission on International Tables under the Chairmanship of Theo Hahn, who have been working hard to make all this possible.

In planning future volumes, the Union must pay attention to existing need and potential demand, in addition to scientific considerations. A volume covering the many aspects of Macromolecular Crystallography that are not represented in the current Tables is being considered and has received strong support in preliminary discussions. Beyond this, other means of dissemination of information must be explored. Tables are especially suited to electronic distribution, which has the added advantage that re-keying is eliminated. The transmission of graphs and figures is becoming commonplace on the Information Superhighway, and should not be a barrier. We must look for new formats to extend the scope of the Tables to less widely practised, but scientifically not less important subjects.