-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) online catalogues (2004)
Date:   Tue, 2 Mar 2004 10:22:20 -0000
From:   [log in to unmask]




[posted simultaneously to DACH; to LIBERgdc; to 'Lis-maps'; to
'MapHist'; and to 'MAPS-L']



One of the two major current projects of this Society (founded 1830),
aided by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is the conversion to OPAC of
(chiefly) card catalogues of the Library, the Map Room, the Archives,
the Picture Library, and of the Artefacts Collections; the second major
project includes a completely new Reading Room where all sorts of
materials, relating to one theme or person, may be consulted in one place.



The time has come to test the combined online catalogue of these
constituent Collections before its official 'launch' in June.  Please
note that, *as regards holdings of the Map Room*, the Heritage Lottery
Fund has aided conversion of the *catalogue records of items from the
15th century to c.1940 only*.  Several cartographic works (e.g. the
itineraries, road-books, and Cary materials - from the 16th to the 19th
centuries - of the Fordham Collection) are in the Library's catalogue.
Please also remember that only the data on the original records has been
keyboarded (abroad!), and partially edited; there is much work yet to be
done.  On behalf of the Society's Librarian, Mr Eugene Rae, I invite
subscribers to the 5 internet cartographic discussion lists above to
take part in this test.



If anybody is interested in taking part in a mass test of the RGS-IBG's
on-line catalogue please email [log in to unmask] with the word testcat52 as
the subject. This will activate an automated response that contains
details of how to take part.



Francis Herbert (Curator of Maps, RGS-IBG)

[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>

http://www.rgs.org <http://www.rgs.org/> [see 'Collections'/'Unlocking
the Archives']