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Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 10:31:53 EST
From: Brendan Whyte <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Closed/open access & comments from a user's world map-library
tour
Sender: Brendan Whyte <[log in to unmask]>


I have just returned from overseas research in various map collections in
South Asia and Europe, and wish to second John Sutherland's comments. The
National Archives in the Netherlands used to have a separate map section,
but it was 'restructured' and slotted into the general collection and the
specialist staff redistributed. No one seems to know exactly what they have
or where they have it. A colleague told me the archives had some maps I was
particularly after, but he saw them when maps were a separate section, and
no one there now seems to know where they are, where they might be or even
if they do have them! The ability of a map librarian to remember that he
pulled out some obscure map for someone a few years back and to relocate
that map cannot be replaced (except by full and total cataloguing), and is
vital for some researchers. Despite the wonders of modern technology, the
'customer' of a map collection needs friendly and knowledgable staff who
have both the time and ability to understand what he needs and either find
it in their own collections or then direct him to another collection that
does have his needs. In the rush down the slope of commercialisation and
user-pays, user-friendliness and the human face of the collection are all
important or the utility and the raison-d'etre of the map collection are
lost:

If I can't get the map I need from you in under 30 minutes (say), there's
not a lot of point you having it at all.



Closed collections are also annoying to a researcher, who like Russell Guy
or myself needs to browse. Much of the material I have found for my work is
by going through drawers of maps myself.

Of course there are 2 types of 'closed' access:
'Openly closed' where you can ask the staff at the desk for what you need
and they pull it(from a catalogue number or personal knowledge); and 'Really
closed' (like the British and other National Libraries) where the map
section staff do not pull the material for you themselves, but pass your
requisition on to stack room staff, and there is often a limit on number of
requisitions per day. For this latter category, the cataloguing needs to be
total, but often isn't. Apparently the British Library isn't producing
indexes for its series holdings due to lack of budgetary
resources/staff/time! This means when I needed to see a few sheets of one
large series, I had to order the whole thing as with no index I didn't know
the sheet numbers, and then the stack room staff came back with 'the series
is too large to bring out, we need individual sheets numbers'! With no index
or listing of holdings it is a waste of everyone's time to pull a series out
and find it is of no use because the sheet one needs is not held after all
(which was the outcome), never mind damage to the maps lugging in and out
huge lumberous folders of them. Thus that entire series is effectively
unavailable, unusable and un-useful!
The need to browse through maps is also incompatible with a daily item limit
in that much of the material I ordered was returned within a few minutes as
once I had it, I could immediately see if it had the information I needed,
or as was more usual, not. Of course, this is less a problem in university
collections than large national/archival collections, who use the 'really
closed' access system.

Duplication of material was also a problem with large libraries having
partial holdings of the same series in different departments (ie Indian
topographic maps split between the India Office and Map section collections
in the British Library), and no overall index.

And the state of collections in the subcontinent was enough to make one
weep: the maps were often highly restricted, if the collection was able to
hold them at all (even the National Library does not have the restricted
topographic maps, and the depository scheme only nets 20% of published
material in India: commercial retailers on the internat have larger numbers
of annual acquisitions than the National Library!). Universities in West
Bengal cannot get topo maps of their area, being in the restricted zone, as
the application process takes 2 years or more, and the maps must be kept
carefully locked away and users vetted and registered. Although 1930s
British Survey of India maps are fairly readily available overseas, they are
neither reprinted in India,nor available for ready academic use, being under
the same restrictions as current mapping(as I discovered when the military
found me with a 1930s map). Those libraries that do have these old maps tend
to have no budget and no staff with an interest in the resource (even in
geography departments, the map collection was literally under lock and key,
but the 70 year old maps were out of order, the cabinets broken, filthy with
dust and vermin, and the maps stuffed in like clothes in a laundry basket).

One other comment on the perils of commercial realities: several collections
I visited had lost government funding, or never had much, and charged access
fees to non members. The SOAS library in London was one of these (how many
other university libraries around the world charge a researcher from another
university just to browse??), as was the RGS in London, the latter being
more understandable, and the staff  helpful and knowledgeable enough that
the fee was less begrudged (at least one ensures one gets one's money's
worth!). However the RGS does seem to be leasing itself out for wedding
receptions and other functions, and some map cabinets had had red wine spilt
on them and the maps inside were getting stained! Given that many university
libraries in Australasia have relaxed their previous 'no consumables' policy
to allow water bottles in this age of tap-water-isn't-good-enough-no-more,
the danger of damage to collections open or closed is increasing. Then
again, if all users carry water, the main fear of fire is eliminated!

I guess what I'm trying to say is, when the managers of your libraries start
the 'commercial reality' bit, remember the user to them.

Apart from my 'gripe list' above, I hope you will allow me the space to take
the time to thank all those map and 'normal' librarians who helped me so
much over the last 6 months, and put up with my demands to pore over their
collections. In particular I want to acknowledge Mr Ghatak of the map
collection of the National Library of India in Calcutta, who is a marvellous
man, one of few librarians in India with a genuine interest in his work and
in helping his 'customers'. Given the resources he has to deal with, he is
pure gold. Please do consider him if you have duplicated maps of India or
Bangladesh. I have his contact details.
Also excellent help were Jan Smits in the Dutch National Library (next door
to the Archives!) and Francis Herbert and all his little map gnomes at the
RGS.

And the utility of lists such as maps-l, or groups like the Australian Map
Circle, is excellent, in that when doing research in a foreign country, one
can turn up at the local map collection and the map librarian knows you.
Thank you to all who made this student's job that much easier and more
friendly over the last 6 months.

Brendan Whyte
PhD student
Geography Dept
University of Melbourne
Australia

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