Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2022 1:38 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [MAPS-L] Map collection measurement in linear feet --- revisited
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2022 1:24 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Map collection measurement in linear feet --- revisited
I regret and apologize for my smart aleck answer to this thread a week ago, because now I have been approached with the same question! Space consultants want to know. Our collections strategist suggested that I characterize our map cabinets in square feet instead, however I was concerned the consultants would use the standard aisle widths or other inappropriate measures. We stack 4 to 5 cabinets high, so it is imperative to accommodate rolling ladders. I replied with the following:
Our cabinets vary slightly in size and vary a lot in height, but most map cabinet footprints are 54” x 42” or about 16 square feet. We have 63 stacks of map cabinets. HOWEVER --- It is important to note that map cabinets need more space around them than the ADA standard of 36” for regular book shelves. Map cabinets need enough space in front of them not only for a person to open a drawer but also room to stand on a rolling ladder while opening the drawer. The rows of cabinets need to be separated by an aisle about 5 to 6 feet wide. In a recent social media conversation, we determined that the aisles need to be wide enough that the American Geographical Society library director, Marcy Bidney, can lay down sideways between them. She is about 5’ 4”? We call the unit of measure “one Marcy.”
The Map Library also has a significant amount of non-standard book shelving, such as the giant shelves where atlases lay flat and other oversized shelves for not-quite-as-large atlases. We also have 6 cabinets of locked books. Those cabinets are about 46” x 24”. Some of the flat atlases are so large that if we only had 36” between the shelves it wouldn’t be possible to pull a book entirely off the shelf.
Kathleen Weessies
Social Sciences Coordinator; Head, Map Library
Michigan State University
517-884-0849
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of John A Olson
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2022 9:52 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: map collection measurement
Doing a side-step on this measurement metric. If one takes the volume of a banker’s box, (10x12x15) then the capacity is 1800 cubic inches. Relate that to the volume of one standard sized map drawer (2x37x49) yields 3626 cubic inches. So basically 2 banker’s boxes = one map drawer, volume wise. One can do the linear math from there.
John A. Olson
Librarian for Government and Geo-Information
358 E.S. Bird Library
t 315.443.4818
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Sewald, Ronda
Sent: Wednesday, October 12, 2022 9:31 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: map collection measurement
Having worked in the archives and special collections worlds for many years before switching to map cataloging, I suspect they’re asking for linear feet because that was given to them as the standard unit of measurement for extent within those communities and they’re shoehorning in the map collection. Since most of the collections I worked with at the time consisted predominantly of audiovisual materials, I never found this to be the most useful way of indicating the extent to users either, but I suppose it makes sense if you’re mainly dealing with consistently sized bankers boxes and document cases and are measuring down the length of the shelves.
If it were me, I would pretend the map drawers are oversized archival boxes stacked flat on a shelf. I would first figure out how many drawers it takes to make up 10 inches (the height of the average bankers box) and divide the total number of drawers by that number. I would then multiply that by the width of the drawers.
So if 50 drawers are 2 inches high and 54 inches wide, this would be equivalent to 10 ten-inch stacks of 5 boxes each or [(50/5) * 54] / 12 = 45 linear feet. If you wanted to factor in that the drawers are considerably deeper from front to back than a bankers box (15 inches), you could do that too, but I’m not sure that archivists worry about this when calculating linear footage for oversized boxes.
Not all archival boxes are completely full, and this doesn’t impact the total of linear feet, so I also wouldn’t worry about whether a drawer is full or not, just whether it had anything in it.
Best,
Ronda
----------------------------------------------
Ronda L. Sewald
Cartographic Resources Cataloger
Indiana University Libraries
Herman B. Wells Library E350-87
1320 E. 10th Street
Bloomington, IN 47405
812-855-2059 [log in to unmask]
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Jeff Essic
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2022 5:22 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: map collection measurement
Reminds me of an old survey question that used to be asked for ALA rankings -- the total number of digital data files! There were so many problems with trying to answer that, it was just nonsense.
Jeff Essic
GIS and Data Librarian
North Carolina State University
D.H. Hill, Jr. Library; Data & Visualization Services
Box 7111, Raleigh, NC 27695-7111
(919) 515-5698
http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/gis
On Tue, Oct 11, 2022 at 4:24 PM Weessies, Kathleen <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Yes, if a preposterous measurement is requested, then a preposterous number should be provided. I propose that the maps be expressed as a two-dimensional area in hectares.
(# of maps) x (average size of a paper map) = size of collection
250,000 maps x (30” x 36”) x 6.4516e-8= 17.42 hectares or 43.04 acres
However that doesn’t measure the digital collection.
Kathleen Weessies
Social Sciences Coordinator; Head, Map Library
Michigan State University
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of PJ Mode
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2022 2:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: map collection measurement
The Library of Congress has 5 million maps. Assuming the average map is 2 feet wide, that's 10 feet of maps, or 1894 miles. Of course, that excludes globes, terrain models, aerial photographs, etc. Maybe round up to 2000 miles?
PJ Mode
______________________
On Tue, Oct 11, 2022 at 1:45 PM Thomas, Craig K. <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Hi Michael,
Did they tell you why they want the information regarding the extent of the sheet map collection expressed in terms of linear feet?
I’m assuming you store your maps flat. Could you fill a standard size archival box with uncataloged maps on hand that are still folded and, based on the number that fit into the box and the total number of maps in your collection, extrapolate the number of linear feet?
Best,
Craig Thomas
Senior Operations Cataloger
Metadata Creation
Harvard Library Information and Technical Services
617-384-7158
625 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Hours : Mon-Fri, 11-7, on-site
Craig Thomas
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of David Medeiros
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2022 12:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: map collection measurement
It is useful to know how many items are in a collection of maps. It is useful to know how much territory the collection represents on the earth. It is useful to know the range of topics covered by the collection. It is useful to know date ranges and scale ranges of the collection.
It is not useful to know the liner feet of the collection. Or its height. Or its weight. Or its favorite color! ; )
David Medeiros
Geospatial Reference & Instruction Specialist
Stanford Geospatial Center
650.561.5294
@mapbliss
SGC website: gis.stanford.edu
GIS cartography: bit.ly/giscart
GIS email list: bit.ly/GISlist
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Fry, Michael <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2022 8:53 AM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: map collection measurement
Thanks, Rene. To clarify, I am explicitly not being asked for storage space requirements (which I have provided), but rather the "extent" of the collection. In linear feet.
To be fair, I recognize that values like "15,000 sheets," while numerically precise*, are somewhat abstract in their own way. Just as "6000 linear feet of books" is precise, but also lacking in that it doesn't say how many books that is, or how big they are, or how much floor space their shelves occupy. All these measurements are contextual. But linear feet for maps seems especially devoid of meaning as a useful unit of measurement. Even the method Sierra mentioned (measured the depth of maps in a drawer, count maps in said draw, multiply by number of drawers),which would produce a valid (if highly estimated) number, seems misleading. Our map and atlas collection occupies about 900 sq. feet, and contains about 15,000 sheets. Stacked upon one another, the contents of my 135 drawers would presumably be a few feet high. Let's say three or four. So maybe the same approx. volume as my dresser. This is useful?
* This, too, is an estimate since some of the collection is not cataloged at the item level
On Tue, Oct 11, 2022 at 11:19 AM Sayles Carlin, Rene <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Michael,
I would not/could not describe the Geography and Map division collection in that manner.
I say 5.6 million maps and x number of drawers if asked for specifics.
The LOC does describe many of their collections in linear feet.
In my 31 years of service entirely in this division we have not.
I would answer…I’m sorry, that is not how we “calculate” our collection. We have never done so. I can give you a sheet count, and whatever else you can provide. You can’t give what you don’t have.
My Coworker thinks you are being asked for the “storage space” and not the actual maps themselves.
Rene Sayles, Collections Manager
Geography and Map Division
Library of Congress
202-707-8551
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Fry, Michael
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2022 10:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: map collection measurement
If your superiors asked you to describe the size/extent of your sheet map collection, what would you say? In what unit(s) of measurement would you provide an answer?
I'm being pressured to answer the question in terms of linear feet--again, for sheet maps--and can't get my head around that. The only way I can get to "linear feet of maps" is to literally stack them on top of each other and measure the height of the stack. Which, IMO, would be a ridiculous (and meaningless) way to measure the size/extent of the collection. Much less meaningful than # of sheets, or number of drawers, or even square feet (of area occupied by map cases).
I'm off to search the literature on this, but wondering what your thoughts are. ?
Thank you.
mf
--
Michael Fry
Collections Manager | Map Library Manager
National Geographic Society Library, Archives & Media Management
202.807.3139
1145 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036
--
Michael Fry
Collections Manager | Map Library Manager
National Geographic Society Library, Archives & Media Management
202.807.3139
1145 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036
