-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Connecting Teachers, Libraries and Geography
Date:   Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:08:39 -0500
From:   Richard <[log in to unmask]>
To:     [log in to unmask]



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Greetings,

I am co-writing an article on the use of geography collections within
children’s and teen departments of public libraries. I am specifically
interested in non-book circulating collections (maps, globes, puzzles of
maps, etc). I have posted on 2 children’s library electronic discussion
lists with large subscriber bases, and the feedback I have received
indicates that few (if any) public libraries have non-book geographic
items available for check-out. In our article, we will attempt to
justify the need for such a collection and provide guidelines on how one
may be built.

I am now in need of your experience and expertise. If you were advising
your local, youth-services, public librarian, what advice would you give
her/him on collection guidelines? What items should form the initial,
core collection? In other words, “any library would be remiss if they
did not include X.” For example, many State Departments of Tourism issue
free road maps. This is a cost effective way to acquire a quality map
for the geography collection—and a state map should be a core item in
any collection such as this. We welcome your additional ideas!

Where should a librarian start in her/his search for geographic items
for check-out? Where can a librarian "shop" for items to include? Where
can s/he go to get items for free? What items are so important to a core
collection that they are worth a relatively high price tag? If you were
developing this collection, what would you include? If YOUR kid was
going to your local library and they had a geography collection, what
would you hope her would find and be able to check out and bring home on
his/her library card?

At this point, we wish to cast a wide net (e.g. topographic maps? Maps
of the universe?) Web sites would be very useful, as we will recommend a
geographic collection of links be established on the library's web site,
but we are primarily interested in real world items that the kids can
check out.

Please respond to me directly and I will be happy to summarize for the
list:

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I will be grateful for any assistance you can provide. Thanks for your
time and expertise!

Richard Douglas Wambold, MLIS
School of Library and Information Studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Helen C. White Hall
Office 4252, Mailbox 172