The igmspec Database of Public Spectra Probing the Intergalactic Medium
  We describe v02 of igmspec, a database of publically available ultraviolet,
optical, and near-infrared spectra that probe the intergalactic medium (IGM).
This database, a child of the specdb repository in the specdb github
organization, comprises 403277 unique sources and 434686 spectra obtained with
the world's greatest observatories. All of these data are distributed in a
single ~25 GB HDF5 file maintained at the University of California
Observatories and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The specdb software
package includes Python scripts and modules for searching the source catalog
and spectral datasets, and software links to the linetools package for spectral
analysis. The repository also includes software to generate private spectral
datasets that are compliant with International Virtual Observatory Alliance
(IVOA) protocols and a Python-based interface for IVOA Simple Spectral Access
queries. Future versions of igmspec will ingest other sources (e.g. gamma-ray
burst afterglows) and other surveys as they become publicly available. The
overall goal is to include every spectrum that effectively probes the IGM.
Future databases of specdb may include publicly available galaxy spectra
(exgalspec) and published supernovae spectra (snspec). The community is
encouraged to join the effort on github: https://github.com/specdb
