The analysis of spectra obtained with ground based and space based facilities
relies on the availability of high quality atomic and molecular data. In this paper,
we shortly describe the
most relevant data bases for the actual and forthcoming facilities at millimeter, submillimeter and
far infrared wavelengths. We discuss how the data bases are organized and implemented,
and we present recent advances in the
general framework of the Virtual Observatory, aimed at making the access to the molecular physics data
both easier and better documented to the final user.
We stress that this essential scientific
activity should receive proper acknowledgment from astronomers, through
referencing of the use of both the original data and the data bases.