-------- Original Message --------
Subject: re How to label maps/drawers/folders
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 15:46:39 +1000
From: Brendan Whyte <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps and Air Photo Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>

------------------
We have separate rows of cabinets for map series and single maps [we
arbitrarily say a series requires at least 5 maps, so 'singles' includes
map series of up to 4 maps].
These bifurcation is further divided by sheet size, so we have 4 rows of
cabinets: large-sheet series, small-sheet series, large-sheet singles and
small-sheet singles.
The catalogue tells users (and staff) which row of cabinets the maps are
in, but as cabinets are staff-access only, having 4 rows is no problem.

All series (half our total holdings) are catalogued at a series level (we
use Boggs & Lewis), and housed in manila card folders or in clear archival
polythene bags. Folders are labelled in pencil with country, theme (topo,
geologic etc), scale, call number (in a large rectangle) and catalogue
bibliographic number.
Individual maps are given a call number in the lower right of each sheet in
pencil. If necessary, a sheet number is added there too for ease of
flicking through the folders/bags.
A graphic index on an A3 sheet of white paper, coloured to show holdings or
just with sheet corners coloured, is inside each folder or bag on top of
the maps.
We have completed drawing up these indexes for all our series, and will
shortly embark on scanning them so they can be viewed as links form our
catalogue.

(for an example go to www.lib.unimelb.edu.au, and type the following words
into the Quick Catalogue Search box on the left:
gambia 1:50,000
The first item that comes up should be the 1:50,000 series of the Gambia.
Click on that to view the catalogue record, and click on the link in the
record for the index.)

For the singles maps, many, but by no means all are catalogued.
All maps are, like the series, given a call number in pencil in lower
right, and shelved in order. Groups of maps of the same country, or within
Australia, the same theme/region within each state, as housed in bags or
folders similarly to the series. But there is no index/shelf list. Maps are
added/withdrawn at will.

We are moving towards using clear bags in the drawers because they are
closed on three sides (folders are closed only on one), so hold the maps
better when pulling them in or out, all the edges of the maps in them are
protected (maps often stick out of folders), and being clear the contents
are obvious, and the bags do not rip/tear.

Because we have to respace the maps and drawers as the collection expands
and we put what was once a higgeltypiggelty collection of cabinets into
order, we use cheap drawer labels typed onto thin card, giving the
country/region and the call number range on each. Where a drawer holds a
single series, the full call number for the series plus regional/thematic
description is used.
Ie
410-419     Middle East
or
418 a (250) 1979-86   Iran 1:250,000 topo
as appropriate



Dr Brendan Whyte
Assistant Map Curator
ERC Library
University of Melbourne
Vic 3010
AUSTRALIA
[log in to unmask]