----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear everyone: I've been following the vector maps conversation with interest. As to using vector maps as a method of "preserving" old maps, I think it is clearer to say that it is a method of providing a digital rendition of important features which can be worked with, without the need for getting out fragile documents and letting them into the hands of a class full of students armed with digitizing tablets and masking tape. The original work should certainly be provided if necessary for visual reference and a check of the nature of the features captured digitally, but the hands on work can be much reduced. This brings to mind a school project by a colleague of mine at COGS in Nova Scotia, one Brent Carey, whose project was to digitize the coastlines of various historical maps of Nova Scotia (Champlain, DesBarres, etc.) and once all these maps were in vector form, it was easy to rescale them to fit an accurate (relatively!) vector map of the province, and the resulting colour plots allowed an informative visual representation of how accurate, or inaccurate, some of the old cartographers were. It also allows an attempt to correlate seemingly random coastline indentations, etc. to actual features, i.e. fifth embayment up from Cape Sable is really Mahone Bay. A "digital archive" should also include a high quality raster image, for analysis of unusual markings, type, line quality, sea monsters and cherubim, etc. which is difficult to nearly impossible to render in vector form. The National Archives of Canada has been "preserving" images of their collection in this manner. And while on this topic, I suppose because I'm one of those "C" fellows myself, that puts me in Mr. Keenan's camp. His words may have been a little on the "eye-opening" side, but I think David Allen's recent observations put a very clear and fair perspective on the situation. Yes, its possible for map librarians to use the digital tools at their disposal to make fairly professional-looking maps. It also takes up a fair amount of the librarians time, sometimes an unfair request on behalf of the patron. And certainly the patron should be given access to the data, that's the general idea of libraries. What's important is remembering that a map is much more than an impressive looking graphic, in fact the impressive looking ones can the most misleading. Anyone with a basic understanding of statistics knows how easy it is to come up with a misleading interpretation, or outright lie based on a selective use of the "facts". It should be the clients informed decision, perhaps with a little advice from the librarian, about when something needs to be professionally interpreted and rendered. To quote an old class motto: "You gotta draw the line somewheres!" Sean D. Smith Cartographer e-mail: [log in to unmask]