----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Julie; Thanks for putting the question in a context. It is a can of worm, but one we have to tackle. We are map librarians because of the format of our in- formation. Spatial information. And now spatial information is in transition. We will have to move with it. I always assumed I dealt with spatial or geo- graphic information that happened to be on maps the most efficient form for that information. Now, technology evolves to provide a more efficient storage and output for spatial information; not to mention the ability to do analysis. I think what we have to look at is what the librarian does; and again I go back to ACQUIRE, CONTROL and ACCESS. If we look at these three functions in the context of electronic data I think we will go a long way toward defining ourselves. Debbie is absolutely right, the response to the library director is, "These are the resources we need to do this..." And be sure to include training in the formula. Here at UConn, perhaps the most valuable work I am doing is performing "collection development" decisions on material. That is, categorizing the user and developing the acquisition, control and access to the material based on their needs. The undergrad (reference user) who needs some 8 1/2 x 11 census maps for a 5-10 page paper needs a different interface than the researcher. What they do with the data and how long and intimately they are associated with it vary. Does it "circulate" to them, or do they use it in-house? Do the care about a map, or just the spatial interface to get to the tabular data? Relations for each between the data and the documentation needs to be established. I am extracting Connecticut data from CD\ROM because that is what most of my reference users want is Conn. I can put that on a hard drive and speed up the system, create a location and catalog the material. Cataloging lets the user navigate the system with pointers and hooks. Access to the data is on shared library machines or on GIS literate workstations. I see all these and more as the librarian's responsibilities. The days of the map library of maps is on the way out, if in fact it ever truly was here. Air photos, charts, atlases, gazetteers and maps in books have been a few of the media, sources and locations we have had to deal with. This is just an exciting evolution. ---------------------- PATRICK MCGLAMERY MAP LIBRARIAN U-5M HOMER BABBIDGE LIBRARY UNIV. OF CONNECTICUT STORRS, CT 06268 (203) 486-4589 LIBMAP1@UCONNVM