  Polarimetry of stars at optical and near-infrared wavelengths is an
invaluable tool for tracing interstellar dust and magnetic fields. Recent
studies have demonstrated the power of combining stellar polarimetry with
distances from the Gaia mission, in order to gain accurate, three-dimensional
information on the properties of the interstellar magnetic field and the dust
distribution. However, access to optical polarization data is limited, as
observations are conducted by different investigators, with different
instruments and are made available in many separate publications. To enable a
more widespread accessibility of optical polarimetry for studies of the
interstellar medium, we compile a new catalog of stellar polarization
measurements. The data are gathered from 81 separate publications spanning two
decades since the previous, widely-used agglomeration of catalogs by Heiles
(2000). The compilation contains a total of 55,742 measurements of stellar
polarization. We combine this database with stellar distances based on the Gaia
Early Data Release 3, thereby providing polarization and distance data for
44,568 unique stars. We provide three separate data products: an Extended
Polarization Catalog (containing all polarization measurements), a Source
Catalog (with distances and stellar identifications) and a Unique Source
Polarization and Distance catalog (containing a subset of sources excluding
duplicate measurements). We propose the use of a common tabular format for the
publication of stellar polarization catalogs to facilitate accessibility and
increase discoverability in the future.
