diff --git a/geomagio/ObservatoryMetadata.py b/geomagio/ObservatoryMetadata.py
index 7cc75610d9cec28f4599df309013a069eab06ec5..7622def1ca5ebab925ce87a98b6797b4648a019b 100644
--- a/geomagio/ObservatoryMetadata.py
+++ b/geomagio/ObservatoryMetadata.py
@@ -996,7 +996,7 @@ class ObservatoryMetadata(object):
         stats['channel'] = channel
         stats['data_interval'] = interval
         stats['data_type'] = type
-        if not observatory in self.metadata:
+        if observatory not in self.metadata:
             return
         # copy in standard metadata
         metadata = self.metadata[observatory]['metadata']