-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        BLM maps
Date:   Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:37:41 -0800
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To:     [log in to unmask]



Dear group

I have not been on MAPS-L in quite some time, and am wondering if there
has been a discussion about the BLM Surface Management and Mineral
Management Series (I 53.11/4 and I 53.11/4-2). Near the end of 2005,
after having received these maps flat from Denver for many moons (since
before I began here in 1996), they began to show up folded and
distributed through the regular depository system shipments, and on the
shipping lists. It was several months before I discovered this, because
I don't handle the federal shipments, but I do handle the flat maps. I
discovered them on our new shelving cart as I passed by; the light bulb
went on, and in checking the stacks I saw that they were now coming in
as folded maps, which is significant because folded maps have a
different location in the catalog record, and a different physical
location. AND, since we supersede these maps, they hadn't been getting
superseded because we also have different students handling flat maps
that didn't know about the folded maps!

Since we now had quite a few shipments with folded maps, and it appeared
that they were now coming through GPO instead of as separates, we
decided to change the locations and make signage to show patrons that
the newest maps were now shifting to folded PAM files rather than the
flat map cases. It seemed too much work to now unfold all the newer maps
for the flat map cases.
NOW, nearly a year-and-a-half later, we received a large shipment of
FLAT BLM maps from Denver! I had been out ill for nearly two months, so
when I saw the flat maps, I called Denver to ask if this was another
change of policy, and was told that they had never changed the policy of
shipping flat maps for depository libraries, and the staff member know
nothing about folded versions being shipped from GPO! I told her that
our library hadn't received the flat versions in over a year, and she
was astounded!

Please tell me our library is not the only one that this happened to! I
am in a quandary as to how to shelve these maps. I have a lot of work
cut out for me either way to make the records match reality and make the
maps be accessible to patrons! Do you have any suggestions or people to
contact?

Debra McCracken
Library Technician I
Research and Information Assistant
Lied Library
4505 Maryland Parkway Box 457039
Las Vegas, NV 89154-7039
(702) 895-2186
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