----------------------------Original message---------------------------- To all MAPS-L People I have had a number of request for the Map Library in Transition Joint Conference, so instead of individually responding, I am posting it to the list. I hope it will be of assistance. I found it invaluable for a presentation I made to my library administration. David Lundquist Map Librarian Shields Library UC Davis [log in to unmask] On Mon, 22 Nov 1993, Alberta Wood wrote: > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > > Report on > THE MAP LIBRARY IN TRANSITION > A Joint Conference Sponsored by the > Congress of Cartographic Specialists Associations > and the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress > October 18 & 19, 1993 > > Report from contributions by Edward H. Dahl [ED], Kathryn Womble [KW], Marsha > Selmer [MS], Cathy Moulder [CMo], Trudy Bodak [TB], Carol Marley [CMa], and > Alice Hudson [AH] compiled by Alberta Auringer Wood. > > The organizations participating in the Congress of Cartographic Specialists > Associations are the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, the > Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives, the Committee of > Southeast Map Librarians of the Association of American Geographers, the > Geography and Map Division of the Special Libraries Association, the > International Society of Curators of Early Maps, the Map and Geography Round > Table of the American Library Association, the Map Online Users' Group, the > North American Cartographic Information Society, the Northeast Map > Organization, and the Western Association of Map Libraries. > > The meeting opened with long lines at a registration desk as over 100 > attendees picked up their badges and final program. Fortunately, there were > several people helping with this operation, and it was completed in time to > start the meeting only a little bit off schedule. > > Ralph Ehrenberg, Chief of the Geography and Map Division introduced Dr. > Deanna Marcum, Director, Public Services, Collections Management 1 > [Special Collections], Library of Congress, who welcomed the participants to > the CCISA conference and thanked both the organizers and sponsors. > Dr. Marcum mentioned the vigorous support of the Librarian of Congress, > Dr. James Billington, for the concept of an "electronic library" which helps > bring about "a library without walls." A major initiative to this end was > the Library of Congress (LC) American memory project, launched in 1989. This > is an ongoing project which places library materials in electronic form on > optical disk. Dr. Marcum also described the LC's demonstration laboratory in > which people can look at various technologies which have possible relevance > to libraries. She also noted that the Geography and Map Division had in the > past year created a GIS specialist position, now occupied by Gary > Fitzpatrick. > > Gary Fitzpatrick (co-chair of the organizing committee) followed with a few > announcements and outlined the events to take place during the next two days. > > Then Dr. Christopher Baruth, American Geographical Society Collection, > University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (co-chair of the organizing committee), > who gave an overview of the conference goals and program. Chris noted that > this conference was an outgrowth of a meeting that was held five years ago in > Chicago of representatives from the sponsoring organizations. At this > meeting two of the expressed goals were to encourage greater communication > which was accomplished by the institution of MAPS-L by Johnnie Sutherland of > the University of Georgia and to hold an international meeting which is > occurring over these two days. What Baruth called "the digital revolution in > cartography" challenges map librarianship. Information areas in libraries > which are not well understood and have high space requirements are > vulnerable. Digital cartography requires more advanced equipment, with > higher associated costs and training. The aim of the conference was to > provide map librarians with information on this revolution and to work > towards an accord on needs and service delivery. [ED, CMo] > > The first session entitled "Where Map Libraries are Today and Where They > Are Headed" was moderated by Dr. Baruth with Colleen Beard of Brock > University as the first speaker. A main challenge for map librarians is to > create a reputation as experts about digital spatial data. After > investigating options for her own library, she sees the functions of the map > library as acquiring and providing digital data, electronic atlases, and > custom maps or maps on demand, and providing some means for geographic > information system (GIS) analysis. Map librarians must decide the types of > data to collect for their users and the methods of access they will use, and > they must gain the skills and knowledge to work with different digital > formats, the offloading of data files and some level of geographic data > analysis using GIS. > > Deborah Lords, University of Utah, asked whether there is a future for map > librarians. She is concerned that library education is not keeping up with > new technologies available, such as Gopher and Archie. She believes that the > American Library Association should be setting standards for library > education. Ms. Lords pointed out her concern about the "envelope of > disenfranchisement" -- those who do not have access to any of the new > technologies. If librarians do not decide how to handle the challenges posed > by new technologies, someone else will, and they will probably charge fees to > their users. Librarians must actively move forward. "Stagnation is death." > > Thornton P. (Patrick) McGlamery from the University of Connecticut spoke > about map libraries as places. He asked the question, "Will anyone come to > the map library anymore?" He encourages map librarians to begin thinking in > terms of spatial data rather than maps. We can view maps as artifacts (form) > or as carriers of spatial data (function). Mr. McGlamery found some useful > ways of thinking about the transition from paper to electronic data in > Michael Buckland's book Redesigning Library Services. System networking > means the map library is not just in the basement anymore. A local area > network (LAN) becomes a file server on another network. An analogy Mr. > McGlamery uses in describing two computer hard drives in his collection is > that they are like map cases. They store a lot of maps, they cost about the > same as a map case and they're square like a map case! > > People will come to the map library more for training than for data. > Libraries will continue their role of providing cataloging and location > devices for data and continue to provide reference service. Sophisticated > data users will demand easy ways to get the data they need. Less > sophisticated users will need training. How well we describe the data and > point to it has been a traditional role for the librarian and will continue > to be in the future. > > Gary North of the U.S. Geological Survey spoke next. Data is coming to > map libraries on CD-ROM and this trend will continue. The Government > Printing Office (GPO) must decide how to reproduce and distribute large > quantities of this data to the library community. Data producers should work > on ways to improve file structures for data and some government/private > industry creative research and development agreements have begun in order > to do this. New electronic metadata systems are emerging. Map librarians > should think about plotting their collections graphically in addition to > traditional descriptive cataloging. Standards must be set as more joint data > production projects go forward. Map librarians must anticipate and plan for > changes such as not receiving paper maps anymore, for changes at the GPO, > and for people accessing information from their homes. Changes in the > electronic information world have just begun. Librarians must define their > role and not let it be defined for them by engineers and scientists. > > Johnnie Sutherland at the University of Georgia envisions his map library > installing a LAN hardwired to the campus mainframe with 4 workstations, > CD-ROM drivers, 2 gigabytes of hard disk space and laser printers. As map > librarians, we will use set ups like this to access hundreds of different > sites for data. Mr. Sutherland will be a spatial data specialist, who will > train users on GIS software and how to download data. He predicts that other > specialists will continue to need help finding the data they need. He will > employ a scanner system to make his large paper collection more useful for > those working with digital data. Each library must determine and implement > what level of service it can afford. > > Linda Zellmer, University of Wyoming, is planning a new library and has > developed a list of questions she is using to move forward in utilizing > digital data in the map and earth science library. The choice of a library > GIS should be based on the library's goals. A full GIS system would provide > the information and technology needed to use and analyze all types of spatial > data. A partial system would provide access to spatial data in all forms > without analysis capabilities. Some criteria for selecting a library GIS are > that it be user friendly, capable of being modified easily to accommodate new > data sets, have a reasonable cost and be able to perform library-related > functions. Research opportunities in this area include testing various > systems against the criteria developed to select them, developing user > friendly interfaces so that patrons can use the system with little assistance > from library personnel and developing library-related applications. [KW] > > After a short break, Diana Rivera of Michigan State University chaired the > session on "Reports on Initiatives". This was begun by Alberta Wood who > reported on the "GIS in Libraries Survey" that had been organized by the > Congress of Cartographic Information Specialist Associations (CCISA) and > co-funded by the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives and the > North American Cartographic Information Society. The survey was undertaken > to see how well libraries were handling GIS and digital data and to provide > a benchmark for future studies. Most respondents were from American academic > libraries, and of the total responding, only 46 percent held digital data. > The most frequently cited reason for the absence of digital data was the lack > of funds. For additional information on this survey see the archives of > Maps-L and the reports published in the journals of map librarianship. > > Four initiatives currently underway at the Library of Congress, Geography and > Map Division, were discussed by Ralph Ehrenberg, Division Chief. They are: > 1) Establish a GIS reference capability through the creation of a GIS > specialist position and the acquisition of GIS software and supporting > hardware. This will allow the Division to create maps on demand for the U. > S. Congress. 2) Use GIS technology to create graphic indexes for the over > two million sheets in the Division's map series collection that lack sheet > level control, and integrate the graphic and bibliographic control of the > collections. 3) Assist in establishing and distributing standards for > digital data and metadata by participating in the work of the federal > interagency working group charged to deal with these data. 4) Establish a > Center for GIS and move the Division from a paper to an electronic > environment in its service to users beyond its Congressional constituency. > > CCISA coordinator, Christopher Baruth, noted the associations and > representatives currently participating in the CCISA. As a non-organization, > and therefore, not funded, the CCISA must depend on its constituent groups > for future direction. Recent initiatives included the GIS in Libraries > Survey and the planning for this conference. > > Larry Carver discussed the goals of the "ARL Geographic Literacy > Project," a joint initiative of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) > and the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), which is designed to > educate and equip libraries in the provision of spatially referenced data in > all formats. Sixty-seven American libraries were accepted in the first two > phases of the program; negotiations for the third phase in Canada are > underway. Participating libraries must own the hardware needed to support > data sets from companies such as ESRI, GDT, WESSEX, DEC, and National > Decision Systems. [MS] > > After the lunch break, Dr. Deanna Marcum chaired the Keynote Speakers > session. The first speaker was David Beddoe, Regional Manager, Washington > Office, ESRI, Inc., who spoke on "Georeferencing and Mapping of > Non-cartographic Information". Beddoe's topic was the implications of using > GIS on data which formerly would not have been considered cartographic. > Converging technologies, the combination of network computing and GIS, open > new vistas and extend what information can be considered geographic. He > emphasized that GIS is very multimedia now--data can be conventional maps, > images or georeferenced data sets. Beddoe estimated that the U.S. federal > government has approximately 12,000 databases. Forces influencing further > GIS development are: privacy, free public access, cost recovery, copyright > and commercial use. Marketing is an exciting growth area for GIS, as > businesses use the technology to make better decisions and track user needs. > Beddoe predicted that the map will become the index and GIS the front end to > locating and using all spatial data. GIS users will geographically assemble > data from all sources. His vision is that GIS belongs in every library, and > eventually preschoolers will be accessing geographical information. > > His talk was followed by "Paper Maps in an Electronic World" by Barbara Fine, > President, The Map Store, Inc., Washington, DC. Fine spoke as the > representative of international map vendors and addressed the future of the > paper map. Basically, she felt the paper product will disappear by the > beginning of the 21st century. Computer games have now replaced commercial > maps as learning tools. Quality and resolution are not yet the same but will > be soon. In the past five years, every commercial producer of road maps has > gone for the ease, speed and economy of electronically generated versions. > Ten years ago, the "clear type" line of products was dominant for business > and reference use; today most lines have been discontinued and made obsolete > by the microcomputer. Fine concluded that the commercial map business is in > decline, and that many vendors are becoming antiquarian map dealers instead. > > The third keynote address was on "Geographic Information in the Research > Library of the 21st Century" by Larry Carver, Map and Imagery Laboratory, > University of California, Santa Barbara. Carver called upon experiences in > forming corporate partnerships to develop the Map and Imagery Laboratory, in > order to formulate his vision of the role of GIS in the research library of > the future. GIS hold the "seeds for the electronic library of the future". > He predicted that within 10 years the speed of development in GIS will be > vastly faster than in other technologies, and the present bottlenecks on the > "national electronic information highway" to dense and huge datasets will be > removed. Also in 10 years, data compression and exchange will be vastly > improved by fibre optic distribution cables. Libraries must redefine their > services to accommodate these developments. There will be no hours of > service, as information will always be available. The information specialist > will require new kinds of expertise, and teams will be necessary to provide > an interface for users of digital data. Internet is at present very ad hoc; > libraries can provide better defined access and standards. Permanent access > is needed but not necessarily ownership, and libraries should take > responsibility for unique data rather than duplicating holdings. Libraries > fit into the "big business" of information delivery in terms of consistency > and standards, and responsibility for information heritage. Research > libraries must consider cost recovery as a method of providing service to > non-primary clients. Adaptability is not prevalent in this community, but > vision is essential now for survival. Carver advocates that we help each > other, pool resources, and identify special collections for preservation and > cost sharing. In the future it will not matter where data resides, and we > must work with systems designers to develop flexible systems locally while > also taking advantage of distant resources. Map librarians must create a > technical support group to evaluate, test, produce and teach, but from the > information and library perspective rather than from that of the vendor. > > The last keynote was by Dr. Ron Abler, Executive Director, Association of > American Geographers, who spoke on the"Essential Skills for GIS Competency in > the Year 2000". Abler talked about GIS curriculum necessary to prepare > students for entry into a $15 million rapid growth industry. His research > indicates that emphasis should be on geography and general attributes. Most > current curricula offer a single GIS course, one per year, with no > prerequisites, emphasis on software training and digitizing. As recently as > 5 years ago, there were no journals and no courses. Abler expects gradual > abandonment of the teaching of specific software, with curricula focus > changing to manipulation, analysis, decision making and other managerial > emphases. There will be more education, less training, more emphasis on > analytical uses, map design, forecasting skills and ethical issues. Abler > described this as GI "Science" rather than "Systems". He noted that training > in network navigation will be essential for GIS in 10 years. [CMo] > > On Tuesday morning, October 19th, the first session was chaired by Ralph > Ehrenberg on "The Federal Geographic Data Committee and the Federal > Depository Program: Prospects for the Map Library of the Future." The first > speaker was Michael Domaratz, Executive Secretary, Federal Geographic Data > Committee (FGDC), USGS, who opened this session by giving a review and status > report of the activities of FGDC, such as establishing a national spatial > data infrastructure. A copy of the FGDC newsletter issue 2, Summer 1993, was > distributed at the conference, and it includes an outline of these > activities. FGDC newsletters are available by email request to [log in to unmask] > > He was followed by Elizabeth Mangan, Head, Data Preparation and Files > Maintenance Unit, Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress, who is on > the FGDC Standards Working Group for developing the metadata standards. She > described the work of the committee, such as the distribution to various > librarians of the contents standards from which they received two feet thick > worth of pages of comments. She felt that the description should be > independent of the form or media. She noted that there were at least ten > issues unresolved. The FGDC newsletter issue 2, Summer 1993 also provides > more information about the Spatial Metadata Standard. > > The next speaker, Sheila McGarr, Chief, Depository Program, Government > Printing Office, addressed the GPO's role in the future with respect to map > deposits and the difficult choices that have to be made in times of > downsizing and economic constraints. There are 53 full deposit libraries in > the U.S. and hundreds of partial depositories. All must make the deposit > collection publicly available and provide user assistance; the program is > based on the principle that the public has a right to information which the > government has collected. McGarr indicated that GPO is a distributor rather > than a publisher, and has no influence over format. At present, 60% of the > information they distribute is microfiche and 1% is digital. CD ROM is > becoming the medium of choice for spatial data. The system configuration > being recommended for USGS data is: 486 PC, 4mb RAM, GIS software, plotter. > Libraries may only be able to select the "Digital Ortho Photo Quad" for their > state. Reinventing Support Services #2 recommends that GPO be an executive > agency. GSA would then handle printing and the Superintendent of Documents > would go to the Library of Congress. With this situation, it was difficult > to tell what GPO's role would be. > > Larry Carbaugh, Chief of Special Information Products, Data User Services > Division, Bureau of the Census, followed up on Sheila's theme about the kinds > of decisions and choices that must be made and future requirements for census > data products. He emphasized that they need input from users. He pointed > out that they had produced 10,000 block level maps in 1980 and none in 1990 > as they developed digital files. All maps are now electronic and plotted on > demand. There are now over 150 commercial softwares available to access > TIGER files. Carbaugh speculated that libraries will have to charge the user > for map production and data analysis. A 486 is not fast enough; there is > 100mb of data for Los Angeles county alone. The Bureau of Census will > produce block face statistics in CD ROM format rather than microfiche. > > Lastly, Millington Lockwood, Deputy Director, Joint NOAA/USGS, Office for > Mapping Research, outlined the work being done at NOAA, and he addressed some > concerns about digital data distribution. He commented that four or five > agencies produce maps showing the land/water boundary with the oceans, and > that the shoreline is "rarely coincident" on USGS and NOS charts. They are > trying to coordinate with USGS to eliminate this problem. He predicted that > in less than ten years there will be no paper nautical charts! The Joint > Office goal is a multipurpose GIS which supports many other applications, > e.g. data visualization. Lockwood recommended Surfer software from Golden as > useful for entry-level GIS, and commented that issues of data documentation > were becoming more important than the data itself. CD ROM is the best > distribution option at present, but the eventual goal is on-line real time > update. Paper indexes to hydrographic charts are also gone, to be replaced > by a prototype electronic bulletin board. Libraries should prepare to print > on demand, as end users will still request paper copy. In principle, NOAA > will maintain everything they produce, but how archival material will be > treated in digital format is still unknown. [TB,AH,CMo] > > After lunch there was a two hour block set aside for "Demonstrations of U.S. > Federal Geographic Information Systems Applications". In one of the wrap-up > sessions of the conference it was said that, "GIS is too important a topic to > be left in the hands of the GIS industry." No more will it be, to judge by > the informative GIS demonstrations for the map information community. > Participating agencies included the Bureau of the Census, Department of > Defense, Environmental Protection Agency and the Soil Conservation Service. > We saw the capabilities of various systems including Grass, Intergraph, Arc > Info and a related product, ArcView 1. > > The most compelling demonstration was undoubtedly that of EPA, in the cause > of environmental equity and/or justice. A population and characterization > tool has been developed for the use of various EPA agencies. The application > sifts through EPA data sets and census information, to estimate and > characterize populations in circular areas around locations such as hazardous > waste sites, toxic release facilities and monitoring sites. Information can > be viewed using Arc View or other tools, such as E Map. We looked at a > minority neighbourhood (over 85% Afro-American)) in Baltimore, Maryland, and > what we saw was not healthy. In addition to environmental hazards, there was > only one hospital in the area, and very few schools. We were able to find > the congressional district lines and identify the congressman. We learned a > lot about this neighbourhood in a short amount of time. It is clear that GIS > technology is an incredibly powerful tool for assessing environmental > quality. > > The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with its Construction > Research Laboratory and the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory > (CRREL), demonstrated a decision support system prototype for flood > prediction and assessment. We looked at recent data from the Mississippi > watershed. Another prototype application was a global commons decision > support system for sensitive area route impacts. This particular study > evaluated the environmental risks associated with different standard shipping > routes, to transport a cargo of chemical weapons placed in West Germany > during the Cold War. Proposed destination, a "safe" incinerator site on an > island in the Pacific. > > Resources Automated Management System (RAMS) currently maintains in its GIS > approximately fifty data layers for the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in > Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region. It supports users with > responsibilities for environmental protection, natural and cultural resources > preservation, security, emergency response, disaster preparedness, range and > aviation safety, and facilities management. Edward Air Force Base > demonstrated a siting system for the base, which also includes environmental > layers. > > We finished off with the Mill Creek Project, Walla Walla District, > Washington, the first water resources project in the U.S. Army Corps of > Engineers to fully use a GIS. A complete information system has been > constructed for Mill Creek, which can be used at different scales and in > different combinations for synthesis, analysis, display and preservation by > all agencies within the district. Data has been used, for example, by the > Hydrology Branch, Real Estate Division, as well as by members of the public > like the Camp Fire Girls. > > If these demonstrations are typical of what is going on out in the "real" > world, then GIS is going public, and quickly at that. The map information > community is facing a real challenge in disseminating this information. I > hope that we are in the right place at the right time to make a significant > contribution in getting GIS technology to the people, and that things will > not be left in the hands of the GIS industry! [CMa] > > To conclude the business portion of the conference, Edward Dahl, National > Archives of Canada, chaired the "Reports from Discussion Groups and Open > Microphone". The first to report was Joan McKean of Education Affairs > Division of NOAA who had chaired the group on "Toward Defining Training and > Education Strategies for Map Librarians". There were 16 attendees. The > areas of concern were: a) access, b) role of librarians, and c) budget > considerations. Some of the highlights were: Librarians are the information > brokers and advocates for the public interest. Librarians need to illuminate > and make careers more relevant; do homework, learn the jargon and concepts, > develop a knowledge base, read the literature, take a course. Offer to > coordinate a GIS group on campus or in your community schools. Track library > schools and get them to update the curriculum. The group summation was that > "GIS is too important to society to leave it to the GIS industry". > > Melissa Lamont of the University of Connecticut was the discussion leader for > "Communicating with Library Directors about GIS, Remote Sensing and the Map > Library". Diana Rivera, Michigan State University, reported for the group. > There were 19 attendees. She reported five concerns: 1) lack of attention > and funding for map collections, 2) downsizing of staff and space problems, > 3) explaining GIS to Directors, 4) opposition to GIS in Library, and 5) > defining level of library services. Solutions suggested included networking > among ourselves, within the library and with academic departments on campus, > and with state and local user groups; directors need to know wide use and > applications and how they benefit the library. Improve visibility by using > products already in house, such as Streetatlas USA or PCGlobe, in reports, > presentations and displays. Report statistics on use of GIS, time may be > important as reference questions are more complicated and time consuming. > Communicate with the director the level of service you need. Present the > library as middle ground between academic needs and information producers, a > neutral resource to share; learn politics and cultivate GIS advocates. > Communicate with the director regarding level of service to ensure support; > specify and be able to explain why equipment is requested/needed, equipment > requests should support a specific service. Get outside persons to > communicate the value of your collection to your director; impress visiting > dignitaries; bring in neutral parties to assess the collection's strengths, > worth, direction; use experiences of comparable and respected institutions. > > Grace Welch of the University of Ottawa reported on "Toward Defining the > Technical Requirements for a Map Library in the Year 2000" at which 12 were > in attendance. This group arrived at no definitive answer. Technical > changes come so fast that there is a constant need for new equipment which > may be out of date in two years. Some libraries in this group did not have > any equipment at all, while some were in the ARL GIS Literacy Project, and > some were navigating the Internet. The group expected to see a lot fewer > paper maps by the year 2001, and map libraries will require electronic > equipment which will vary in quantity depending upon the funds available. > One conclusion was that access is required to the Internet, or its successor, > such as a data network using broadcast technology which requires large > storage devices. One workstation is still one person access and can tie up > the entire collections; multiple workstations and LANs are required. The CD- > ROM is an interim and will disappear. The key to all our futures is metadata > and making data easy to find. Improved Gopher systems are needed, as well as > output devices, such as color printers and plotters. We will need a user > foolproof interface. A basic workstation needs to be defined. > > The last discussion group on "Inventories and Services: Looking at the Map > Library of the Future" was reported by the discussion leader, Jim Minton, > University of Tennessee. This was felt to include collection development and > management and could only look ahead a maximum of five years. There should > be a well defined mission statement to put in front of your administration > which would include the digital aspect. Post your selection policies on the > local Gopher. Develop ties with departments, regional and provincial/state > agencies. Scan historical collections or provide special access tools for > them. Develop policies on access and amount of time that can be spent using > equipment. Paper map acquisition will not be a primary concern. The > services of reference, teaching, interlibrary loans, on-demand mapping will > take more time and more terminals. If there is only one terminal, the whole > collection is tied up by one user. Develop training handouts, manuals, and > computer tutorials. Use Internet for the transfer of data via ILL. > Determine who are your users (primary, secondary and tertiary) and allocate > your time carefully. > > Following this presentation, Ed moderated a question and answer session. Jim > Minton commented on terminology, advocating "cartographic information center" > versus "map library". Will there be map libraries in the future? User > friendly interfaces make for a lot of choices. New functions as a result of > new technology, what is a librarian? Johnnie Sutherland noted that there is > an intensive use of time and map files to know what is out there. How much > time should be spent training people to use the equipment or should you do it > for them? Colleen Beard felt that the main function should be to acquire and > provide access to information. Can we develop recommendations or > specifications for workstations? Reference was made to an "Administrative > Notes" which recommended a 486, 8-16 meg RAM, 100-200 meg hd. The library of > the future: archival collections, search center, service center for those > who need products. A mission statement is required which gives the concept > of operations and is being forced by government agencies and map stores. Do > we categorize users by the amount of time spent on them? Someone noted that > 1/3 of users are outside agencies, such as environmental consulting firms, > who are money making, and we should be charging them. It was mentioned that > for data outside the U.S. there are heavy licensing fees; such costs will > require fees. Some problems with reliable data were noted. As a model for > the future, it was noted that for a library that is a patent depository, when > the library administration advertised this fact, they were overrun by users. > People come to the library as a neutral locale, but it will have to recover > costs. Models are needed for charges for time, services. Charging for > services means limiting services to the groups that can pay. If you find > yourself spending 10 hours per week working for some company, you will > develop a fee for service very fast. There was discussion of tools or > analysis; teaching how to use or finding the data. It was felt that all > special format libraries will face this soon. What are cartographic > specialists to do? Redefine the profession? Create a new profession, > philosophy and policies. Pat McGlamery noted that map collections are > typically small units of much larger organizations, and we compete very > poorly. For these issues we need the sanction of some national organizations > to provide funds to study issues. For the first time, at this conference we > had a variety of folk discussing in collegial fashion. We have been too > splintered in individual professional organizations. Problems have been > given form for the first time here. Someone noted that librarians would > become vendors and creators. > > The discussions were interrupted for a short while by a fire alarm requiring > leaving the building from our sixth floor location (a sprinkler head broke in > the parking garage). At the end of the discussions, Chris Baruth thanked the > other members of the steering committee (Gary Fitzpatrick, Patrick McGlamery, > Johnnie Sutherland, and Alberta Wood), and noted that the level of discussion > all along has brought out the best in all of us. The steering committee met > over lunch, and we hope to see a publication or proceedings come out of this > meeting, in addition to this report. There was discussion regarding another > conference with the suggestions of having one in 2, 3 or 4 years time and > perhaps on another theme. [AH,CMo] > > The conference ended with a reception in the Montpelier Room sponsored by the > Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress. It had been an > interesting and invigorating meeting! >