----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Shirley:
 
As one who has seen your meta-database I would like to add my voice in broad
support of your approach to the management and control of the rapidly
expanding digital datasets and programs.
 
Your problem appears the reverse of the more usual story of the *passive* map
librarian/curator who's service could be deemed expendable when resources are
stretched, or could be simply subsumed within a GIS function.
 
Two practical solutions I might suggest are:
 
1)  Monitor the use of your system.  This need not be excessively
bureaucratic, something along the lines of a 'tick box' for varying classes
of user and data accessed, for example:
 
    Nature of enquiry:            |Enquiry satisfied?  |Comments?
                                  |Yes/No/Partially    |
    ============================  |====================|==============
    Staff   - personal            |                    |
            - teaching            |                    |
            - research            |                    |
    Student - personal            |                    |
            - assignment          |                    |
            - final year project  |                    |
    Non-dept staff                |                    |
    External student reader       |                    |
    General public                |                    |
 
Just a first thought!  If you could incorporate such data into a wider
monitoring for the whole library use then so much the better - this will help
maintain a higher ratio of useful information content to bureaucratic
activity.
 
2)  Try and find one member of staff sympathetic to your approach and work
with him/her to develop a demonstrably workable system.  Just delete everybody
else's files (only joking!).
 
Best of luck - has anybody else used more sophisticated self-monitoring to
justify their activities?
 
Philip Guest
Carto-bibliographic project
University of Manchester