The following documents provide general background information about the National Virtual Observatory and its relationship to the International Virtual Observatory Alliance.

• Online version of the NVO Book - "The National Virtual Observatory: Tools & Techniques for Astronomical Research"
• Virtual Observatory Architecture Overview

• VOTable Format Definition

• Simple Cone Search

• Simple Image Access Prototype Specification

• An Introduction to NVO Core Applications

• How to Publish to the NVO

• Virtual Observatory Architecture Overview
  
  
• The Management, Storage, and Utilization of Astronomical Data in the 21st Century

Additional VO-related documentation is available in the NVO document collection (http://www.us-vo.org/pubs/index.cfm) and the IVOA document collection (http://www.ivoa.net/Documents/).