----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Jan et al, we are finally getting started as "hosts." we will provide generous capacity, minimal structure, technical support and some common utilities (reflectors, ftp site, etc.). this morning we discussed our capabilities within a global framework of map librarians. so far, our efforts have been for the campus--where we learned of the large redundancies should we all do the same thing in prallel. we have taken step two, supporting utilities for the UC/Stanford Map Librarians Group. several innovations will emerge from it shortly, including shared maintenance of a url and acqusition tools. today's topic here was step three, building the WAML master site, using subject partitions to be maintained by subject interest groups. we chose the 17 subject subdivisions from the Library of Congress "G Schedule" for maps as the spine of point-and-click access; i hope everyone will approve-- it is part of the MARC/LC Subject Headings entablature. we're pretty confident we can handle the technical end of things but the self-organization required depends on the Special Interest Groups. the map history group will be the first SIG on our schedule, but it will probably be January before we can implement suggestions. we'll then use that template for other subjects. meanwhile, i'd like to continue sketching out what features we have in mind. in this process, hopes/expectations will confront realities/permissions: for instnce, we know each subject will need linked-access to its server's archive--will Harvard's Map-History archive be available? our premise is that each collection will use the time saved--sooner or later--to enrich the common information pool. development of local sites for answering frequently asked questions--just as Jan is doing--is assumed. we have not addressed the redundant sites and self-sustaining management issues, but we subscribe to the principle absolutely. That includes me: Mark [log in to unmask] be co-director of the project. we might take redundancy a step further and implement it for our seprate homepages as well--a sort of "buddy" system in case the primary site has a service interruption. LC cc: maps-l I would like to put in my 2 cents. I am busy constructing a cartography homepage as part of the homepage of the Royal Library. I have not to occupy myself with technical details, but the conversion of texts and insertion of maps, tables, graphs etc. -in spite of the availability of a WP to HTML converser macro- give tens of hours work. I hope my efforts will show in the first quarter of 1996 on the WWW. Maybe it would be a good idea to create a distributed homepage to divide the burdens. This would mean that a certain institution is responsible for a certain topic [upper cast] of the Maphistory Homepage and links [lower cast] in its first page to the other parts of the Maphistory homepage. This would show as follows: LC BL Deutsche Bibl. Harvard UCLA(SB) MH-WWW MH-WWW MH-WWW MH-WWW MH-WWW RESEARCH FELLOWSH. ARTICLES INDEX DIG-MAPS fellowsh. research research research research articles articles fellowsh. fellowsh. fellowsh index index index articles articles dig-maps dig-maps dig-maps dig-maps index New information-classes or providers can easily be added. Even when a certain provider would not be able to produce [because of technical or organizational trouble, move to other institution, illness etc.] a great part of the total homepage would stay available. Jan Smits Map Curator Royal Library, National Library of The Netherlands [log in to unmask]