This message was sent to Maps-L by Larry Cruse. In this message Larry is
replying to an earlier message that Tony Campbell sent out over MAPHIST.
Larry has attached to his message the Tony Campbell message. Specialized
Home Pages are the new wave in communications. We should support both the WAML
and this MapHist effort. All the large Map Collections should have Home Pages
that give info about their special holdings and local maps.--------Johnnie
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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Tony,
I announced the start of just such a homepage last month.
Western Association of Map Libraries is underwriting
start-up costs. we're workng on the details and should have
something running next month, incorporating the very ideas
you express. management will be particapatory/global.
the
past week was spent settling on the input mechanism--a
system called Infomine developed at University of
California, Riverside--and agreement on using Library of
Congress Subject Headings--we hope to inbed them in the
system as a look-up table for input and searching. LC
Dear MapHister
[this is from Tony Campbell - to save you having to page through to the end!]
Is there any support for the idea that we establish a master web
site for the history of cartography?
The MapHist list is fine for conveying immediate information, but
it doesn't operate as a systematic noticeboard, where information
of a more enduring nature can be organized and stored for future
reference. Some of this kind of data will have already been
posted, but searching in the MapHist archive is a slow process
unless you can remember the precise header title. New
subscribers are, of course, unaware of what has gone before.
What I am proposing would make information readily available to
old and new subscribers alike. Information would be organized
into a series of indexed categories, and regularly updated. Some
of these categories are covered in the 'What's What' section of
the recently published 'Who's Who in the History of Cartography
(D8)'. This could help to provide a model for the web site.
My personal starter list of what the site might contain would be:
1. A list of the relevant homepages, e.g. those with early map
images, library catalogues, information on historical map
collections, progress with the Madison 'History of Cartography'
project [or reference to its homepage], etc.
2. A list of relevant journals, with recent contents pages,
subscription information, contact names, etc.
3. A list of the various current bibliographies - a separate
proposal to create a master bibliography of our subject is
currently under consideration.
4. A list of future conferences, meetings, lectures, etc, in the
form of a calendar
5. A list of recent theoretical works on the subject.
6. An index to the more significant discussions that have taken
place on MapHist, with header titles and dates, for retrieval
from the archive.
7. A list of research fellowships and prizes, with details.
8. A list of map dealers' catalogues.
9. Anything else that is wanted and can be provided.
Theoretically, there is no limit and hypertext links might well
be introduced.
Discussion at the recent Vienna meeting of the International
Society for the Curators of Early Maps extolled the delights of
Internet 'anarchy'. This proposal is no threat to the random
access, serendipity approach. But the Internet also offers the
chance to bring organized, relevant information to a specialist
group rather than let them surf - and probably miss most of it!
It is no coincidence that a growing number of subjects are
seeking to provide a central reference point on the Internet.
The Western Association of Map Libraries, for example, has just
announced plans for a master web site for map libraries.
MapHist is now well established as THE global focus for our
subject. If a homepage is to be created, I suggest it would
ideally be made directly accessible to MapHist subscribers via an
index screen. As suggested above, one of the homepage's major
features would be a link to other homepages, which, as a result,
would see increased usage. The MapHist Homepage would thus
enable, not exclude. It would be simultaneously a central
directory (for specialist and non-specialist alike) and a series
of signposts.
We first need to see if the idea has support. If yes, who will
set it up? It should be possible to share out the tasks of
creating and updating the different elements. Our Convenor,
David Cobb, should certainly NOT be asked to do any of this work.
Please give your reactions to this proposal.
1. Do you support it in principle?
2. What other information would you like to see on a MapHist
Homepage?
3. Would you be prepared to offer help?
Please write to the list but separately from this rather long
message, to avoid clogging up the system.
*****************************************************************
[log in to unmask]
Tony Campbell, Map Librarian
British Library Map Library
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG, UK
Phone: 0171 412 7525. International: +44 171 412 7525
Fax: 0171 412 7780. International: +44 171 412 7780
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