Astronomers' contribution to library and information services at the South African Astronomical Observatory in their quest to understand the universe

Astronomers rely heavily on access to scientific publications in order to conduct astronomical research leading to discoveries that push the frontiers of our understanding of the universe. This article argues that astronomers contributed to the development of the astronomical library at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) over a 200-year period of the historical development of astronomy in South Africa. It draws from a qualitative empirical study where data were collected at the SAAO through interviews with experts in the fields of astronomy and library and information services (LIS); the analysis of relevant documents from the SAAO archive; autoethnography; and a review of relevant global literature. The research findings provide the basis for this article's argument, with three overarching LIS themes presented, giving evidence of and contributing a South African and African angle as to how astronomers started and developed astronomical LIS, while introducing conversations around what this means for current astronomical LIS.