----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dave, I don't think that people are uninterested in preserving the informational content of their maps. I think their reluctance is the result of distrust. Over the last 20 years librarians in a variety of arenas have been wooed by great promises of ultimate solutions. Only to have their faith splattered by "well, we plan to .... someday." What if the full informational content isn't kept? What if I can't get to what I need (a very very real concern)? What if I can't afford the equipment to retrieve the information my patron needs? I am thinking of the colored, shaded topographic maps of, say, Half Dome, with its strait-edged side. The colored shading is important to some. What if it doesn't save accurately? What if, in printing, the contours near the cliff smudge because the lines are too thick? What if someone reprograms part of my application and now the interfaces don't match? But I believe that the greatest concern is whether my definitions of "informational content" matches yours. Of course, you can't ever catch the big fish if you never open the can of worms. Debbie Lords [log in to unmask] Marriott Library University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 84112