I think I've been hanging with this crowd long enough for you to know I love maps and highly value my summer internship experience at the Office of Geography working on the gazeteers of France and Cuba and my 2 years spent at LC working behind the scenes (mostly for Mr Buffum who was largely responsible for getting individual sheet maps catalogued) as contributing hugely to my decision to pursue an academic career.

If you have a student working for you who you consider knowledgeable academically or bookishly, you might consider suggesting to them that they apply for one of those internships that were presented by LC in yesterday's epistle from Angie.   

These represent a huge opportunity to learn about classic maps.  I still remember the first time I ever saw the internal contents of a Ptolemy and, also, on the same day, a powderhorn map.  I also learned a lot from Mr Buffum about contemporary sheet maps that used to be passed out by gas stations.  

Today, talking about GPS with a molecular biologist who couldn't understand how people driving by following a GPS could drown, I found myself saying that I often drive without a map or GPS, primarily because I've been exposed to so many maps in my life and so many different types of terrain as well.  I KNOW how not to drown!  Should I say it? DUH!

Please take this opportunity to be a teacher for these kids by sending them to a very different sort of summer school!  You'll be astounded by what comes back to you in the fall.

Thanks.

virginia