The Use of Virtual Observatory Databases in Binary Star Research

The rapidly-accumulating archives of ground-based and spacecraft data worldwide that are being linked together through the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) provide the binary star community with unparalleled opportunities for research. The main databases that are available to the astronomical community through the IVOA are discussed. Data from long-lasting spacecraft missions such as IUE are especially valuable for studying long-term variability. Some examples of current research on close binary stars that is being carried through with UV spectra from the IUE archive are presented. Included are the search for O-subdwarf companions to bright Be stars and some results from an ongoing investigation of the Double Periodic Variable phenomenon in Algol binaries.