Reviews of ``Astronomical Directories'' were given by Heck (1991) and Heck (1992c).
A few years ago C. Benn and R. Martin undertook the task of collecting e-mail addresses of individual astronomers in a single ASCII table. The table is arranged in five columns (name, institution, network, electronic address, and date code, the latter indicating when update information was last received from a given institution), and updates are released every year. They are available via anonymous FTP in three files located at ftp.ast.cam.ac.uk:guide/ASTRO*. The same directory also contains some useful documents on electronic mail and TeX macros to print the RGO directory. This list of individual e-mail addresses is ASTROPERSONS.LIS and the current version of April 1994 contains about 11,000 entries, of which 92%are on the Internet. Alternative e-mail addresses for observatories and astronomy departments are given in file ASTROPLACES.LIS. Postal addresses are given in file ASTROPOSTAL.LIS. Requests for copies of these files, corrections, and additional information for inclusion in the next edition can also be sent to email@mail.ast.cam.ac.uk or directly to C. Benn crb@lpve.ing.iac.es.
The dictionary StarGuides, maintained by A. Heck (Strasbourg), is available and searchable via WWW under URL http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/CDS.html. It comprises practical information on associations, societies, scientific committees, agencies, organizations, etc., in astronomy, space sciences, and related fields. Currently about 5000 items from 100 countries are offered, with information on postal and electronic addresses, phone and FAX numbers, staff, activities, geographical coordinates of observing sites, awards or prizes granted, etc. StarGuides supersedes the book Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Related Organizations of the World (ASpScROW). For additional information contact A. Heck (heck@cdsxb6.u-strasbg.fr). [References: Heck (1994b).]
The Unix commands whois and netfind are both valuable tools for tracking down network contacts. Both may be accessed by going to Phone Books on most Gopher servers.