-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        RE: Maps in High Density Facilities
Date:   Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:03:21 -0500
From:   Angie Cope <[log in to unmask]>
Organization:   American Geographical Society Library
To:     Maps-L <[log in to unmask]>


This topic was touched on briefly in 2006 and earlier in 2003. I'm
pasting below a summary provided by Susan Greaves from Cornell back in
2003 regarding off site / remote storage. There may be more out there in
the Maps-L archives but this will wet your whistle ... (sorry it's a
little long)

(from Angie, AGSL, UW Milwaukee Libraries)**

Subject: Remote map storage - summary Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 13:09:36
-0400 From: Susan Greaves <[log in to unmask]>

------------------

Hello Maps-L,

Some weeks ago, I asked for information about storing maps offsite. Here
are the questions again, and a summary of the responses I received. If
others have time to contribute their experience working with a remotely
stored map collection, please do!

Many thanks -- Susan

1. How are maps stored offsite? Flat map cases? Vertical files?
Industrial shelving? Boxes? Folders?

a. We operate a major off-site storage operation. We have a facility
some 7 miles away from the Library in which are stored around 100,000
maps, in purpose-built horizontal map cabinets. The cabinets are
standard metal map cabinets& - nothing special on the design front.
Maximum height is 160 cm.

b. Maps are stored in flat map cases and, within those, in acid-free map
folders.

c. We ordered not only the conservation boxes below, but also some
conservation envelopes to put every other one in so that the atlases
didn't damage each other (they are brittle). These boxes are then placed
on the metal shelves in the annex.

d. Right now most maps are stored flat and in the open on special
shelves. It's not ideal; I would prefer if they were in acid-free boxes,
like our topo maps.

e. Some map series which are stored offsite are scanned, and we have the
files in our central servers. In this case it's a digital file
management problem, not so much a physical storage issue.

2. How are maps packaged for transferal between offsite storage and
onsite map room? Have you constructed any special boxes or ...? Does
staff at the remote facility select individual maps to send back to the
user or do entire sets get picked and sent back to the central map room?

a. The Library van transports material to and from the out-store. Maps
tend to be rolled, and then the rolls are tied up prior to transportation.

b. Maps are sorted in the map folders with no more than 15-20
maps/folder. Special oversized suitcases are used to transport the maps
back and forth.

c. When requested, the whole box of Atlases (I think there were about 8
or 9 in a box) would be shipped to our Special Collections Dept. where
the specific folio that the user wanted would be taken out and the user
could look at it in the reading room.

d. When we move maps between buildings, we never bring back entire sets;
only the needed sheets. We transport the maps by hand either in a flat
file box which is securely closed, or in a large tube or set of tubes.

e. Should maps be selected by Library users, we telephone the store, and
the staff there locate the required sheets and send them to us in the
Library van. They will not send whole sets, just the required sheets.
The Library van travels from the store to the Library twice daily.

f. Each folder is bar coded, rather than individual maps, therefore the
folder comes back but not an entire set.

3. When you started to select maps to move offsite, did you think in
terms of percentage of the entire collection? Storage area available?
Obvious groups of maps?

a. We have been very selective in terms of what material is housed in
this store. Primarily material that is least likely to be requested, and
old topographic sets that are complete, for example Austro-Hungarian
Empire series mapping from the 19th century; we have also sent out all
our maps for the Oceans and the Polar Regions. Selection is triggered by
the amount of space available off-site. This grows sporadically, so once
new map cabinets become available, we need to choose items for transfer.

b. Groups of maps have remained our criteria. For example, we have sent
out outdated nautical charts and old sets of topographic maps where we
have acquired new editions: i.e. Mexico, South Africa, etc

c. We sent approximately 1,000 maps to our library annex last year. The
first set was old Geologic Atlases.

d. The second collection sent was other editions of topographic maps. We
decided to keep all editions of topos for states on the East Coast and
only the most current for other states. So, these older editions are
pulled and sent to the annex and collected in a new box there --I think
the same boxes fit 30-40 topographic maps. So far we haven't had any
call for these maps from users wanting them.

e. We maintain offsite storage of about 50,000 sheets (mostly nautical
charts and geological maps)

4. Over all, how is offsite storage working for you?

a. Does offsite storage work? Yes - I think it does, the key being to
concentrate less frequently-used maps offsite, and rely on the
understanding of our users, who tend to be very appreciative of the
situation.

b. Fortunately, we are requesting very little from offsite so we have
been good in our selections to date and are satisfied knowing that they
are being stored in a secure and climate-controlled facility. It takes a
little while to get the procedures down, and defined, but it then works
fairly smoothly.

c. The good news is that records had to be made for these maps before
sending them to our annex - making them more accessible than they were
before! In this respect, offsite storage is working well for us.

_________________________________________

Susan Greaves Map & GIS Librarian Instruction, Research & Information
Services (IRIS) 017 Olin Library, Cornell University Ithaca, New York
14853-5301 voice 607-255-9566 / fax 607-255-9346

- sent by Angie 4/1/2010 -

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        RE: Maps in High Density Facilities
Date:   Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:29:46 -0600
From:   Kathryn Lage <[log in to unmask]>
To:     'Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship'
<[log in to unmask]>
References:     <[log in to unmask]>



Here at the University of Colorado at Boulder we do store maps in our high
density storage facility. We store them flat, in boxes, on atlas-type
shelving.

Every map is barcoded and the maps are delivered in tubes. They circulate to
patrons from libraries within our region, but must be used in the requesting
library.


We began storing maps in the high density facility a few years ago and it
seems to be working fine, although I don't know how much use they get. We
are in the middle of sending older BLM maps to the storage facility and have
had a very hard time finding sturdy (acid-free) boxes that are large enough
to store the maps. We will probably need to fold them. The map sets we sent
before were DMA/topos and it was easy to find boxes to fit those.

Something else to consider is the need to provide access to the indexes for
map sets, so that a patron can request just one or two sheets instead of a
whole set.

I'd be glad to talk further about our experience if you have any specific
questions.

-Katie

Katie Lage
Map Librarian
Jerry Crail Johnson Earth Sciences & Map Library
184 UCB
University Libraries
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309
303-735-4917
http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/map/


-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Angie Cope
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 2:10 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Maps in High Density Facilities

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Maps in High Density Facilities
Date:   Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:06:57 -0400
From:   Mcauliffe,Carol P <[log in to unmask]>
To:     [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>



Dear Maps-L,

The University of Florida is currently planning a high density facility
for use by all 11 state university libraries in the state of Florida.
We are considering putting map cases within the shelving of this
facility but I would like to poll the group first to see how other
institutions are handling this sort of issue.

Does anyone in this group have maps in a high density facility? Do you
have actual map cases in your facility? Are they special cases made to
fit into HD shelving? Or just a regular old map case and the HD shelving
just starts above the case?

And how is access provided? Is each and every map barcoded? Or do you
use big acid free folders, place a relatively limited number of maps
into each AF folder and then only barcode the folder?

How do you deliver them to your patrons? Tubed?  Flat in a stiffened case?

Are the patrons using the maps only back at your main campus or do you
deliver maps within your state and/or region?

We would be very grateful for any information people would like to
share.  Thank you in advance!

~Carol McAuliffe



*Carol McAuliffe**,* Map Librarian
Map and Imagery Library, Spatial Information Services Unit
Government Documents Department
George A. Smathers Libraries
University of Florida
(352) 273-2828 _
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>_