Since I have an ecology/environmental science background I wouldn't define the Pacific NW by state boundaries. (It's not really an administrative unit.) I would include Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Northern California. I might also include parts of Idaho and a small portion of Alaska. This answer is only really helpful if you have a strong environmental studies program (or perhaps geology). As a map librarian, think about what state coverage your patrons are likely to want. At a minimum, I'd collect your state and adjacent states and provinces. Expand to include other nearby states and tell the administrators they are part of the Pacific NW if you think the maps will be wanted by your patrons. If you're working with only government maps, I'll be happy to provide further insight into what to deselect. I have also recently withdrawn portions of our government maps that don't get much use and have a substitute online. (Think topos and geology maps, although geology maps can be a political hot button if you have a long established geology department.) Hope that's helpful. Kathy Stroud Map/GIS/Aerial Photography Librarian University of Oregon. ________________________________ From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Aimee Quinn <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, April 9, 2018 11:36 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: states which compose the Pacific Northwest Hello folks, I've been asked to come up with collection scope including a specified geographic limit for our map collection perhaps just to the Pacific Northwest, however, the U.S. government does not appear to have a consistently defined geographic area for the Pacific Northwest. So I thought I would turn to my colleagues to see how you define this region of the United States. Below are a sample of different geographic definitions currently in place by the federal government. Census Bureau Division 9: Pacific Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/maps/reg_div.txt Bureau of Reclamation Columbia River Basin in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming https://www.usbr.gov/pn/index.html USDA, Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region States of Oregon and Washington, Including Portions of Del Norte and Siskiyou Counties in California, and Portions of Nez Perce, Salmon, Idaho, and Adams Counties in Idaho https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3812803.pdf USA.gov Oregon & Washington https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/ USGS Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming https://www.usgs.gov/science/regions/northwest?qt-regions_l2_landing_page_tabs=0#qt-regions_l2_landing_page_tabs Your advice is greatly appreciated with many thanks, Aimée Aimée C. Quinn Assistant Professor | Government Publications Librarian James E. Brooks Library, Depository 0649-A Central Washington University 400 E. University Way Ellensburg, WA 98926 509-963-1592 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> "Life should be lived so vividly and so intensely that thoughts of another life, or of a longer life, are not necessary.<https://www.inspiringquotes.us/quotes/M0Ap_u9salViA>" -- Marjory Stoneman Douglas