----------------------------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
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Marriott Library
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah  84112