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
