-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: Telling the Map Library Story in a Downturn
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:09:21 -0500
From: John M Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
References: A<[log in to unmask]>
Hi Dawn,
Thank you for question. I'm not being asked formally nor am I being singled out to justify the Map Library's existence, but it looks like the provost is on a fact finding mission.
LSU is facing budget cuts this year and probably for the next few years. This coincides with a push to renovate our building which dates from 1929 so there may be discussions of whether or not it is worth it to move the map collection.
Being the only librarian in an academic department makes me the odd man out so I know to keep promoting what the map librarian does for the department.
I've kept a count of the number of patrons (walk-in and virtual), the number of maps and aerial photographs retrieved and scanned by month since 1997 so I have the statistics to answer first hypothetical question when it is posed. Having the numbers of virtual patrons helps in case an administrator visits the library when it isn't busy. I can point out that the CIC has 33% more virtual patrons than walk-in patrons so requests are being handled even if there isn't a crowd in the library.
When asked the second question, I ask the person to locate one of the unique maps from the CIC collection on Google. If I haven't scanned it and put it on the web, it isn't there.
Another question I've heard is: "Why don't you scan all of the maps and aerial photographs and then throw out the originals?" In reply: We the CIC has an active scanning program and is systematically scanning unique regionally significant materials in addition to those scanned at a patron's request. However, it has been found that we want to retain the original material for several reasons. Some patrons have special needs and want materials scanned at higher resolutions that we routinely provide. Also, scanning technology has advanced so much in the ten years since we started scanning, it makes sense to keep the originals so hey can be rescanned when technology is even better.
Hope this helps.
Has anybody gotten other similar questions about the value of their map libraries?
John
John M. Anderson
Map Librarian and Director
Cartographic Information Center
Department of Geography & Anthropology
LSU
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
(225) 578-6247
-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Maps-L Moderator
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 11:01 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Telling the Map Library Story in a Downturn
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Telling the Map Library Story in a Downturn
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:48:43 -0500
From: Youngblood, Dawn <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
John's recent post -- RE: How many maps in your collection - recent acquisitions? got me to wondering: John, in light of the economic situation, are you having to justify your existence?
All members of listserv:
I recently had a lunch conversation with a long time friend who co-heads a university press. She is already preparing materials to demonstrate how the press enhances the prestige of the university just in case the axe man cometh. Since many outside our ranks do consider the map library non-essential, it may be prudent for us to have a conversation on this listserv regarding how we can make our case...
We could pose some questions for each other that would get us thinking about how to tell our story and make a defense.
For example, an administrator says:
Not many people use the map library anyway...
or faculty says
I can get all the maps I need through google...
How do we respond?
Dawn Youngblood
Curator, Edwin J. Fosuce Map Library
Southern Methodist University
________________________________________
From: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Maps-L Moderator [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 10:36 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: How many maps in your collection - recent acquisitions?
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: How many maps in your collection - recent acquisitions?
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:27:30 -0500
From: John M Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Hello All,
Angie makes a great point (below). In my initial panic, I forgot about Christopher Thiry's 3rd edition to the Guide but I have ordered a copy. Please let me know if you have had a significant increase in your collection size since submitting your surveys to the Guide.
For example, the LSU CIC acquired 24,474 maps from our climatology section in 2009.
Thank you again,
John
John M. Anderson
Map Librarian and Director
Cartographic Information Center
Department of Geography & Anthropology
LSU
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
(225) 578-6247
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2009 9:13 AM
To: John M Anderson
Subject: Re: How many maps in your collection?
John,
After you have a chance to look at the book Dave Bertruca suggested you
look at - why don't you let me (and/or the list) know if that will suit
your purposes or if you want people to reply with more current info.
-Angie
Angie Cope, Senior Academic Librarian
American Geographical Society Library
UW Milwaukee Libraries
2311 E. Hartford Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/AGSL/index.html
Hours: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm
[log in to unmask]
(414)229-6282 / (800)558-8993 (US TOLL FREE) / (414)229-3624 (FAX)
43°03'8"N 87°57'21"W
John M Anderson wrote:
>
> Hello All,
>
> Sorry the about the rude subject line and abrupt message, but I'm in
> need of some statistics to present to our Provost on short notice and I
> haven't found a current list of map library collection statistics.
>
> I would like to have the following information about your collections
> (Using my library as an example):
>
>
> Name:
>
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