----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Jan et al,
we are finally getting started as "hosts." we will provide
generous capacity, minimal structure, technical support and
some common utilities (reflectors, ftp site, etc.).
this morning we discussed our capabilities within a global
framework of map librarians. so far, our efforts have been
for the campus--where we learned of the large redundancies
should we all do the same thing in prallel.
we have taken step two, supporting utilities for the
UC/Stanford Map Librarians Group. several innovations will
emerge from it shortly, including shared maintenance of a
url and acqusition tools.
today's topic here was step three, building the WAML master
site, using subject partitions to be maintained by subject
interest groups. we chose the 17 subject subdivisions from
the Library of Congress "G Schedule" for maps as the spine
of point-and-click access; i hope everyone will approve--
it is part of the MARC/LC Subject Headings entablature.
we're pretty confident we can handle the technical end of
things but the self-organization required depends on the
Special Interest Groups. the map history group will be the
first SIG on our schedule, but it will probably be January
before we can implement suggestions. we'll then
use that template for other subjects. meanwhile, i'd like to
continue sketching out what features we have in mind. in
this process, hopes/expectations will confront
realities/permissions: for instnce, we know each subject
will need linked-access to its server's archive--will
Harvard's Map-History archive be available?
our premise is that each collection will use the time
saved--sooner or later--to enrich the common
information pool. development of local sites for answering
frequently asked questions--just as Jan is doing--is
assumed.
we have not addressed the redundant sites and
self-sustaining management issues, but we subscribe to the
principle absolutely. That includes me: Mark
[log in to unmask] be co-director of the
project.
we might take redundancy a step further and implement
it for our seprate homepages as well--a sort of "buddy"
system in case the primary site has a service interruption.
LC
cc: maps-l
I would like to put in my 2 cents. I am busy constructing a
cartography homepage as part of the homepage of the Royal
Library. I have not to occupy myself with technical details, but
the conversion of texts and insertion of maps, tables, graphs
etc. -in spite of the availability of a WP to HTML converser
macro- give tens of hours work. I hope my efforts will show in
the first quarter of 1996 on the WWW.
Maybe it would be a good idea to create a distributed homepage to
divide the burdens. This would mean that a certain institution is
responsible for a certain topic [upper cast] of the Maphistory
Homepage and links [lower cast] in its first page to the other
parts of the Maphistory homepage. This would show as follows:
LC BL Deutsche Bibl. Harvard UCLA(SB)
MH-WWW MH-WWW MH-WWW MH-WWW MH-WWW
RESEARCH FELLOWSH. ARTICLES INDEX DIG-MAPS
fellowsh. research research research research
articles articles fellowsh. fellowsh. fellowsh
index index index articles articles
dig-maps dig-maps dig-maps dig-maps index
New information-classes or providers can easily be added. Even
when a certain provider would not be able to produce [because of
technical or organizational trouble, move to other institution,
illness etc.] a great part of the total homepage would stay
available.
Jan Smits
Map Curator Royal Library, National Library of The Netherlands
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