Netlib and NA-Net: Building a scientific computing community

Two resources evolved in the early 1980s to serve the needs of the scientific computing community. These resources were Netlib, a software repository that facilitated distribution of public-domain software, and NA-Net, a file of analysts' contact information that eventually supported an online directory and, newsletter digest. The authors who created Netlib and NA-Net explain the history of these resources and their continuing impact.