----------------------------Original message---------------------------- To: Maps-L folk Guess it is time to provide a bit more information about the Huxley Map Library at Western Washington University and throw in my two cents regarding the request by Karen Rice for estimates of MARC cataloging the collection. Please note: as Karen indicated, we are merely seeking information and considering what is involved in MARC cataloging of the Huxley Map Library. 1) The Map Library at WWU has always been separate from the Main Library. Like many other map collections it began in a Geography Department, but it remains one of a handful of major collections in the U.S. and Canada still part of an academic unit. (And of course, there are many advantages as well as disadvantages of remaining so). 2) As the Map Librarian for the last 20 years, I have been responsible for ALL aspects of running the Map Library. In spite of building a collection from 115,000 map sheets in 1976 to 225,000 map sheets in 1996, my acquisitions budget has remained approximately $1,200 a year and I have had no staff support (other than work-study students who I dearly appreciate). Thanks to Karen Rice, Head of Cataloging in our Main Library, I now have online access to OCLC for the first time. With Karen's help, we hope to bring this collection into MARC cataloging and I am excited about the opportunity to do so. In response to the recent email from Karen (forwarded to Maps-L by Alberta Wood dated May 19), and considering the amount of comments, additional clarification of the numbers might be useful. A portion of the May 19 email is quoted below: ================================================================= "The collection we hope to catalog consists of a lot of maps. Here is the information that I have so far: 25,000 aerial photographs 55 globes 45,000 single sheets (a variety of geographic areas and subjects) 150 series consisting of about 180,000 single sheets 140,000 single sheets--US depository materials 110,000 single sheets--USGS 25,000 sheets--Canadian topographical 1500 aeronautical charts 3500 nautical charts I hope that many of the single sheets are in series that don't need to be analyzed, but don't have that information now, except for the 150 series mentioned. Let's assume that the single sheets must be cataloged separately." ================================================================= Comments on Maps-L have addressed significantly more items than we have. Karen's numbers were extracted from several sections of a proposal that I prepared last fall. Here are the real totals (excluding globes, aerial photography atlases, monographs, raised relief models, etc. --all to be taken care of separately) Here is how they break down: 225,000 total maps 45,000 single sheets (part of the main collection) 180,000 sheets in series 40,000 sheets (series including the AMS, GSGS, IMW series and others housed in the main collection) 140,000 sheets--consist of depository materials (stored separately from main collection) 110,000 sheets--U.S.G.S. topographical 25,000 sheets--Canadian topographical 1500 aeronautical charts 3500 nautical charts With appreciation for your comments and thoughts, Janet Collins, Map Librarian Huxley Map Library Western Washington University P.S. In a proposal submitted last fall to our new university librarian, my estimate for cataloging ONLY our main collection single sheets --45,000 --(classed under the "G" Schedule and separate from depository holdings) was eight years. I'm still holding to that and suspect it to be optimistic. Certainly this figure does not address the need for cataloging of ongoing acquisitions.