I'm curious to learn about how map librarians make preservation
decisions for maps and atlases in need or repair. There is a lot of
information out on the web regarding books and special collections but
not a lot specifically relating to map collections. For example, a lot
of decision making for book conservation is based on use statistics such
as circulation. Map and atlas collections may not circulate at all and
in many cases, very few copies are known to exist.

It seems that with the sheer numbers of maps in most of our collections,
conservation isn't always possible and so reformatting or use of
surrogates must be used. But, I'm curious how other libraries are
handling these decisions. Is it a case by case basis? When do you decide
to encapsulate vs. just taping? How do you make decisions about moving
items out of your general collections into a closed area? Has anyone
established guidelines based on age, number of copies in WorldCat, some
kind of use or relevance measure??  Does anyone have a written policy
regarding preservation, conservation specifically related to map
collections?

Lastly, is anyone using scanning and plotting as a form of
preservation/reformatting and if so, how do you handle these decisions
and work flows?

Below are some definitions of preservation, conservation, reformatting
and surrogates that I found at the Yale University Library Preservation
Department Policy (found here:
http://www.library.yale.edu/preservation/Preservation%20Policy.pdf )

Please reply to me and I'll send a summary to the list.

Thanks everyone!

Angie

Definitions from Yale University Library Preservation Dept.

Preservation is the process of managing resources to ensure the
protection of historical and cultural materials. Preservation
encompasses a host of policies, procedures and processes that together
prevent further deterioration or sustain access to the materials we
choose to save. Preservation encompasses such things as: good
housekeeping, controlling temperature and relative humidity,
instructions on care and handling, emergency response planning, and
collection security; as well as the more traditional activities of
reformatting, repairing and binding.

Conservation is the physical treatment of collection materials. It
frequently refers to the treatment or repair activities such as those
done in a lab.

Reformatting involves moving information from one medium to another -
e.g. paper to microfilm, audio or video analog to digital.

Surrogates are copies made to be used in place of the original. They map
repeat the look, feel and function of the original as a preservation
photocopy does for a book. Or the surrogate may be a different format
from the original; such as a book may have a microfilm or digital
version or an 8-track tape's surrogate may be a digital audio file.



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Angie Cope, Senior Academic Librarian
American Geographical Society Library
UW Milwaukee Libraries
2311 E. Hartford Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201

http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/AGSL/index.html
Hours: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm
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(414)229-6282 / (800)558-8993 (US TOLL FREE) / (414)229-3624 (FAX)

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