LITHOTHEQUE (=rock library) is a collection of rigid (cardboard or, presently, aluminum), page-size plates to which are permanently attached up to 20 miniaturized (about 4.4 x 3.5 cm), formatized samples of rocks, ores and other geological materials. Initiated in 1970 during field reconnaissance in eastern Australia as a means to convey and preserve unbiased geological information it was further grown and developed during Peter Laznicka's tenure at the University of Manitoba. Each LT plate (or a group of plates) represent a geological site, typically an ore deposit. The plates are kept, mostly in vertical position like books, in slotted cabinets resembling library stacks. Lithotheque is convenient for browsing, the plates are instantly accessible and are very suitable for high resolution photography (Courses,lectures)

DATA METALLOGENICA (DM) is an encyclopedic knowledge repository (expert system) that provides information about some 4000 mineral deposits or geological localities in 85 countries of the world. It is based on the actual geological materials (rocks and ores) stored on LITHOTHEQUE plates (and partly also in MACROTHEQUE, a collection of hand-samples) , accompanied by explanation sheets, field notes and photos, slides and reprints. Initiated and developed by Peter Laznicka in Canada, DM relocated to Australia in 1999 and was installed at the Australian Mineral Foundation (AMF) in Adelaide under industry and some governments sponsored Amira projects. Amira International of Melbourne became the sole owner of DM after AMF liquidation in 2001 and it maintains the electronic version of DM open to subscribers at http://www.datametallogenica.com (the site preview is free) DM change 2008; DM graphic history

DATA METALLOGENICA ORIGINAL (DMO) is my own, present version of DM divorced from Amira. It strives to return to the original idea of pre-eminence and continuing growth of the rock/ore records (LITHOTHEQUE) as promised to sponsors after relocation to Australia, but gradually diminished to virtually abandoned (since 2009) by Amira. It also aims to gradually update and upgrade the accumulated documentation (Lithotheque explanation sheets) neglected by Amira and to post on web, while I am still alive, some 3000 original photos and slides. The latter have languished since 2005, together with the DM physical collection, in shipping containers in Adelaide, courtesy of Amira and PIRSA. Access to this "world's largest mineral deposits collection" (Amira's words) has now been denied for a 4th year in a row (DM change 2008)