Hi Martin and all,
Martin – thanks for sharing your much-needed article with us!
This discussion is also fortuitous timing for another reason: today my editor at ACRL let me know that “Conducting a Map Collection Review: A Workbook to Help You on the Journey”
is expected to be published in May. My understanding is it’ll be free to download from
here.
Attendees of WAML 2020 may remember I gave a lightning talk about putting the workbook together. The intent of creating it was to help anyone who is tasked to downsize a map collection do it
with “forethought & care,” as Chris so rightly said. The workbook is an outgrowth of what I learned when I had to downsize & move our map collection containing 100,000+ items in 2018-19, while still being a rookie map librarian.
Very glad to know the workbook should be available prior to WAML and whatever form the collection destruction session takes!
Best,
Janet Reyes
Geospatial Information Librarian
UCR Library | University of California, Riverside
P.O. Box 5900 | Orbach Library, Room 128
Riverside, CA 92517-5900
Office: 951.827.6421 | Fax: 951.827.2255 | [log in to unmask]
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From: Waml <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Martin Chandler
Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 11:12 AM
To: WAML <[log in to unmask]>; [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [Waml] Massive weeding of a map collection -- panel discussion/workshop?
Hi all,
In a bit of fortuitous timing, I've recently published an
article on weeding academic map libraries! Research is scant, as Chrissy noted, but there are few items that are a bit buried, and there may be others still that I didn't unearth. Still, if you want/need research to point your administration to on the care
needed for weeding, that's part of why I wrote it, as well as to give any librarians new to map work somewhere to start.
Martin
Martin Chandler
School of Arts & Social Sciences Liaison Librarian
Cape Breton University Library
1250 Grand Lake Road
Sydney, NS B1M 1A2
902-563-1996
(He/him)
Cape Breton University is located in Unama’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the L'nu
From: Waml <[log in to unmask]>
on behalf of Chrissy Klenke <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 2:37 PM
To: Kathy Stroud <[log in to unmask]>; WAML <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [Waml] Massive weeding of a map collection -- panel discussion/workshop?
Hi All,
I'm currently working on the March/April WAML IB issues, and we need this kind of stuff in the IB!
🙂. When I first started in the Map Library, a colleague said to check out
the WAML IB. I read a few articles to get me started. So please consider submitting your stories and or experiences.
These could be personal stories as many of you have already mentioned and/or what comes out of the conference.
Also, I looked at the WAML IB indexes and there was only 1 (ONLY 1) article that even mentioned the word "Weeding." So, I looked for other terms and browsed titles. Everything is about acquisitions, collection
development and policy, preservation, maintenance, even how to move a map library or what to do when there is flooding, etc. Nothing about weeding or I like the term "prescribed burn" Ryan mentioned.
Here is the one article I could find in the index
Dawson, Emily-Jane
author
“Weeding the Map collection: Observations
and Advice,”
46:2
Thanks all!
Best,
Chrissy
_________________________________
Chrissy Klenke
Earth Sciences, GIS & Maps Librarian
Pronouns: she, her, hers, ella
DeLaMare Science & Engineering Library
Mackay Mines Building (57)
University of Nevada, Reno
1664 N. Virginia St.
Reno, NV 89557
From: Waml <[log in to unmask]>
on behalf of Kathy Stroud <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 9:55 AM
To: WAML <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [Waml] Massive weeding of a map collection -- panel discussion/workshop?
Chris,
I’m definitely interested and would be willing to help organize, sit on a panel, etc. I successfully reduced the footprint of our map collection a number of years ago by withdrawing USGS series that were available online. However, I
expect to come under pressure to further reduce the footprint as we are re-envisioning our library spaces, etc. Admittedly, it is in need of weeding/rethinking. There’s been a marked change in use over the last three years, faculty retirements have made downsizing
more politically feasible, etc.
Other than formally redefining the scope/purpose of the collection (not always an easy thing to build consensus on), we face many logistic details such as less than 50% is cataloged, maps received through the FDLP are mixed in and not
consistently identified, staff time, etc.
Kathy
From: Waml <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Ryan Ehrfurth
Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 9:20 AM
To: WAML <[log in to unmask]>; Maps-l <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [Waml] Massive weeding of a map collection -- panel discussion/workshop?
This topic is of interest to me.
I’m in the middle of a scanning project. I have an inventory of every map in our collection (the catalog is not accurate, that’s a whole other thing) and along the way I am
marking which maps were not scanned and why. One of the categories is Out of Scope (based on my Collection Development Policy). So, why do we even have them?
At the end of the scanning project, it’s my intention to weed the Out of Scopes. I’m fortunate because I can make the call, and no powers above are compelling a downsize. This
is a prescribed burn for the health of the forest.
Chris, I’ve been on the fence about attending WAML this year (horrible timing for me), but I’d be interested in co-presenting. When would you want a decision?
|
Ryan Ehrfurth
State
of Arizona Research Library Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records |
azlibrary.gov 1901 W Madison | Phoenix, AZ 85009 |
From: Waml <[log in to unmask]>
On Behalf Of Laura McElfresh
Sent: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 8:52 AM
To: WAML <[log in to unmask]>; Maps-l <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [Waml] Massive weeding of a map collection -- panel discussion/workshop?
Chris, I'd be interested in seeing a workshop like this! (I'm not worried about the UMN map library, so just on general principle.) I'm not sure how much the construction of
a legacy plan would involve us catalogers, but we would be up to our ears in the implementation.
-Laura
--
Laura Kane McElfresh
Cartographic Metadata Librarian | University Libraries | lib.umn.edu/
309 19th Ave S, Suite 160
University of Minnesota |
umn.edu
| 612-626-5381
Twitter:
@lkmcelfresh_ | LinkedIn:
laura-kane-mcelfresh | ORCiD: 0000-0001-9530-4098
she, her, hers
On Tue, Mar 7, 2023 at 12:28 PM Christopher Thiry <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
All,
I would like to lead a panel discussion or even a workshop at the upcoming WAML (Western Association of Map Libraries) meeting in Vancouver, BC, August 9-12 (https://waml.org/conferences/waml-2023/) regarding massive weeding projects/concepts of a map collection.
We can all point to examples of map collections that have been gutted when a map librarian leaves. The moment that person leaves, the powers that be decides the map collection must be downsized 50%, 60%, 70%, or even 90%.
How should we, as librarians in charge of map collections, put a plan in place so that a massive weeding project is done with forethought & care?
If a massive cull needs to be done, can we be given the dignity of doing it ourselves. After all, we're the ones who know these collections the best—what is important, well-used, unique.
We all have been to sessions about collection development but what about collection destruction?
Would any of you find this panel discussion/workshop helpful or even interesting?
Who wants to work with me on this?
Many thanks. Yours in maps,
Christopher J.J. Thiry
Map & GIS Librarian
Academic Outreach Coordinator
Colorado School of Mines
Arthur Lakes Library
1400 Illinois
Golden, CO 80401
p. 303-273-3697
f. 303-273-3199
Shipping address:
Colorado School of Mines
Christopher J.J. Thiry
Arthur Lakes Library
1301 19th Street
Golden, CO 80401
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