-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: MAPS-L: map collections in open stacks question
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:01:45 -0400
From: Russell Guy <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Hi John;
I might have missed it somewhere, but did you say whether the possible move
to open access would affect the staffing? If staffing remains the same
(the right solution), then questions of filing, patron access to qualified
help, etc. will have different answers than if staffing is going to be
reduced (the wrong solution). To me, the staffing question governs the
rest of the discussion.
On your "semi-restricted" access, how restricted is that? Can a patron
browse the stacks without staff help, or is it truly restricted and a
patron must ask for every map from a staff person? Does the staff spend
a large portion of its time pulling USGS topos for customers or can they do
that themselves? If a patron must ask for USGS topos, then open stacks
would free up staff to deal with more involved questions. Does the map
room have more limited hours than the open stacks?
I spend time several times a year browsing through different map
collections and as an informed user, I much prefer open stacks. The
ability to browse at will leads to discoveries of maps, or types of maps,
that a patron might not know about and lead them to a different
solution. If everything must pass through a staffer, then the patron's
ability to communicate their needs and the staffer's interpretation of what
the patron wants become much more important.
Cheers
Russell Guy
At 10:10 AM 6/29/2006, you wrote:
>-------- Original Message --------
>Subject: RE: [MAPS-L] MAPS-L: map collections in open stacks question
>Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:31:40 +0100
>From: Carlucci, April <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
>Hello John
>
>I think many/most would shudder at the thought of open access, but I'm
>sure your administrators want cold and hard facts rather than shudders.
>Don't know that I have cold and hard facts, but here are some thoughts.
>
>The attraction of open access to people who don't know better (admin) is
>the thought of saving the cost of staff to retrieve and replace the
>maps, in addition to the well-frightening idea of saving money by
>letting users root around to find their maps/answers without using those
>'expensive' subject specialists. The counters to this are:
>
>? Users are unlikely to be able to put the map back in its correct
>place, in effect losing the map for future users;
>
>? And then there are the conservations issues of torn maps (retrieved
>improperly), folded/squished/crushed maps (replaced improperly) and the
>costs of fixing or replacing them.
>
>? Unless you have sheet level control of the collection (all sheets
>catalogued or at least marked on indexes) you won't be able to identify
>what you've lost by misplacing;
>
>? You also won't be able to identify what you've lost by theft or
>mutilation unless you've got staff sitting there watching (and if you
>do, they may as well be trained to retrieve and replace the maps);
>
>? Unless you've got especially clever users, they won't be able to find
>what they need either, or at least not the best source;
>
>? If users can't find what they want, they get frustrated;
>
>? Frustrated users go away;
>
>? And lack of users means administrators decide to give up the map
>collection entirely.
>
>The point being that in order to save a little money in the beginning
>you either end up spending at least as much, if not more, later on
>trying to put right all the problems caused by the money saving
>exercise. Or you lose the collection/resource entirely.
>
>Not to say you can't have open access map collections. I tended one
>(about 1% of my duties) in a large public library back in the old days.
>Except for the USGS topos, which were not open access, the collection
>could best be described as 'extremely peripheral.'
>
>As you can tell, I am a great proponent of map librarians keeping their
>jobs!
>
>Regards
>
>April
>
>April Carlucci
>
>Cataloguing Manager and Curator of Modern Maps
>
>British Library Map Collections
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Angie Cope, AGSL
>Sent: 28 June 2006 21:46
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [MAPS-L] MAPS-L: map collections in open stacks question
>
>-------- Original Message --------
>
>Subject: map collections in open stacks question
>
>Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 16:19:50 -0400
>
>From: John Olson <[log in to unmask]>
>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>
>Greetings All,
>
>This is a question for all you Map Librarians out there. I'd like to
>
>know which map collections have changed or moved from being a separate
>
>collection or a collection within a department that had semi-restricted
>
>access (separate room) to a full wide-open pubic access collection (one
>
>that is now a portion of the open public stack area)
>
>What challenges have you be confronted with? Collection management
>
>issues? Thefts? Re-shelving problems? Conservation/preservation
>
>concerns/issues?
>
>Are there collections out there that have moved from an open public
>
>area into their own separate space? Why did you do this?
>
>Thanks in advance. I would appreciate any kind of feedback so I can
>
>keep SU's collection from potentially being ravaged in an open public
>
>area.
>
>
>
>John A. Olson
>
>Maps/GIS Librarian
>
>358 Bird Library
>
>Syracuse University
>
>Syracuse, NY 13244
>
>E [log in to unmask]
>
>P 315-443-4818
>
>F 315-443-9510
>
>
>-
>
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Russell Guy [log in to unmask]
Vice President http://www.omnimap.com/maps.htm
Omni Resources Tel.: 800-742-2677 (USA only)
International Map Specialists Tel.: 336-227-8300 (International)
P.O. Box 2096 Fax: 336-227-3748
1004 South Mebane St.
Burlington, NC 27216-2096 USA
Past President (1996), International Map Trade Association
Founding Member, Independent Travel Stores Association
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