-------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE:      Digital Sanborn Maps]
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 16:21:54 -0600
From: Huber, Tom <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
CC: <[log in to unmask]>

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Carlos,

This is Tom Huber at the Illinois State Library. We have a subscription.

It gets a good amount of use. I use it in conjunction with our
collection of Sanborns on microfilm. The reason for this is the search
interface is kind of clunky; the user has a limited amount of zooming
options, and there's no pan tool (these drawbacks are particularly
frustrating when searching a large city like Chicago). Also be aware the
maps are in b&w. The rep from Proquest/UMI told me scanning & serving
them in color would have doubled the subscription price. I guess this
has to do with file sizes on their server, but it's a watered-down
product as far as I'm concerned. Another minor quibble is the set of
Sanborn maps done between the 50s and the 70s is not included. I don't
get as many calls for these as I do the regular set, but enough so that
it would be nice to have the second set available (we do on microfilm).
Probably would also increase the subscription price.

However what it DOES do well is offer clean copies of the maps. It
generates them as a pdf file. A whole page can be rendered on one 11x17
sheet (this can't be done with a microfilmed map). Or you can copy any
section you want, although I recommend the pdf option. Just printing it
straight gave pretty poor images. You'd want to click on the "download"
option as opposed to the print option. You'll get a dropdown list of all
the years for each respective city, making it easy to move from year to
year. There's also a dropdown list of pages too (this part of the
interface is well-designed). Be aware that it generates multiple
windows, instead of having all the action take place within one. And of
course you don't have to deal with storing the microfilm or the machines
to view and print them.

As for is it worth the money I'd say yes, but with the reservation that
it's a pretty steep price for what you get. But considering the way the
periodical industry fleeces libraries I guess it's just par for the course.

My .02

Tom

Tom Huber
Map Librarian
Illinois State Library
Gwendolyn Brooks Building
300 S. 2nd St.
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 782-5823
FAX: (217) 557-6737
[log in to unmask]

"I have an existential map.  It has 'you are here' printed all over it."
         --Steven Wright

-----Original Message-----
From: Maps and Air Photo Systems Forum
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Johnnie D. Sutherland
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2004 3:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Digital Sanborn Maps]


-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Digital Sanborn Maps
Date:   Mon, 8 Nov 2004 12:31:07 -0800
From:   Diaz, Carlos <[log in to unmask]>
To:     Maps-L (E-mail) <[log in to unmask]>




Does anyone have a subscription to the digital version of the Sanborn
Maps available via Proquest/UMI?

If so, what do you think of the database?  Does it get a lot of use?  Is
it worth the money?



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        / |  '     \         "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of
       (  )         0         the few or the one."
        \_/-, ,----'
           ====           //               Mr. Spock
          /  \-'~;    /~~~(O)              Star Trek:  The Wrath of Khan
         /  __/~|   /       |
       =(  _____| (_________|


Carlos A. Diaz
Government Documents Specialist
Government Documents/Maps
Daniel J. Evans Library
The Evergreen State College
Mailstop L-2306
Olympia, WA 98505
[log in to unmask]
http://www.evergreen.edu/library/govdocs/index.html
phone:  (360) 867-6251
fax:      (360) 866-6790

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