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Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 10:32:44 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time)
From: Mark Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: usgs topo dates <fwd>
 
 
 
After querying Maps-L a couple of months ago regarding the dates
that USGS uses in their lists of topo maps by state, I got some
explanations from USGS folks in Rolla and Reston regarding this
topic. Suffice it to say that many people had worked on these
lists over time and that the dates needed for one purpose are
different than the dates needed for other purposes (the date
often representing when the area was last "photoinspected" as
opposed to when the map itself was "photorevised"). They were
very aware that the dates published in the lists of available
maps were misleading to vendors and users.
 
Below is a follow-up message I received regarding their plans to
clarify these dates.  It really marks a big step forward.  I
hope the people at the Survey all realize that we really
appreciate the work they do and their dedication.
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mark Thomas / Public Documents & Maps / Perkins Library
   Duke University / Durham, NC  27708-0177
      [log in to unmask] / voice: 919-660-5853 / FAX: 919-684-2855
The train ...
        traditional, yet environmentally sound.  --Lisa Simpson
 
--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
>Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 11:57:45 -0500
>From: Daniel Cavanaugh <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: usgs topo dates <fwd>
 
 
 
Over the past few months, there has been a lot of e-mail traffic
about problems with dates on the map list that the USGS
distributes.  We want to make everyone aware of our efforts to
clean up this problem.
 
USGS is keenly aware of the problems of using the currency date
on our indexes and map list to indicate the edition of the map.
The problem is the currency date does not  really indicate the
version of the map.  To fix this problem, we have solicited
comments from customers and map dealers as to what date they
would like to see on the index.  The majority of the responses
said to use the most recent of ALL the dates found in the lower
Southeast corner of the map (with the exception of the imprint
date - the small date under the neat line - that is never used).
So that is what we are going to do. While we have a database
that contains numerous dates that are found on the map, we are
not always certain which is the latest date printed in the
southeast corner. In 1999 this will all change. We have now
embarked on the task to physically look at each of the 56,000
topographic maps to capture this date and create a new field in
our database to hold it.  This task is expected to take about
two months.   All future updates of the State Map lists and the
electronic version found at
http://mapping.usgs.gov/mac/maplists.html will use this new date
which we are calling the Version Date, or as one person jokingly
calls our 'born on date'.     The first of the new state list
should be printed in March of 1999.  Our plan is to reprint all
the state lists once the version dates have been captured. Until
these are available, the electronic version will have the new
date and this should also be available in February of 1999.
 
Feel free to post this to MAPS-L.
 
 
 
Daniel K. Cavanaugh
Chief, Product Management
U.S. Geological Survey
Data and Information Delivery
508 National Center
Reston, VA  20192
 
703-648-5908 voice
703-648-5939 fax
[log in to unmask]
 
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