Map Section
1999 Annual Report

Overview

During 1999 the Map Section continued to develop the Library’s services and collections relating to maps and digital spatial data. A particular focus was on access to information, with major projects in the areas of retrospective cataloguing and digitization of historical maps. An estimated 5500 clients (1998: 5200) were assisted in person with information queries by Map Section staff during the year. The Map Section web site was used 8500 times (1998: 6100) - each usage would normally include access to a variety of pages on the site.

1999 Operational Plan Outcomes

The two major projects undertaken during 1999 were retrospective cataloguing of the series maps and digitization of historical maps.

Retrospective Cataloguing: $15,000 was allocated by the Library’s Information Resources Division for retrospective cataloguing of series maps at title (series) level, allowing 435 hours of original cataloguing by contractors. To make efficient use of this time, Map Section staff selected and prepared materials for cataloguing, and undertook item work on Innopac for the records created during the project. The project proceeded a little faster than expected and with a small addition of funds from the Map Section the Walker Collection of Maps of Asia Minor was also catalogued. The project in resulted in the creation of 599 originally catalogued records on Innopac and also the addition of 218 copy catalogued records. This provides an access point via the Library catalogue to records covering approximately 80,000 maps and 10,000 aerial photographs, comprising over 80% of all items held in the Map Collection.

Digitization of Historical Maps: $10,000 was allocated by the Library for the digitization of maps. Historical maps were selected because these are widely used in teaching and research, and they are out of copyright. The project was viewed as an opportunity to gain expertise and develop infrastructures to support future efforts in this area. Materials were selected to represent a range of opportunities and problems (size, format, age, condition). During the project, 190 historical maps were photographed onto 120mm photo transparency, and of these 60 maps were subsequently scanned from the transparency at high resolution (130 MB image files) and stored on cdrom. MrSID image compression software was purchased to allow high quality compression of very large image files. The digitized maps have been mounted on the Library’s Web Site using the MrSID Image Server software, which provides easy and fast access to the large, high quality digital images. It is planned during 2000 to digitize and mount on the web additional maps from the 190 scanned, as funding is available.

Other significant Map Section 1999 Operational Plan objectives and their outcomes in brief were:

• Information Access: new indexes were created for 65 map series, including 11 digital indexes which are available on the web.
• Services: a survey of the origins of Map Collection users by Department or Faculty was conducted, to feed into service development and collection management.
• Conservation: approximately 100 rare, valuable or fragile maps were encapsulated in mylar.
• Policies and planning: a weeding policy was developed for the Map Collection and approved by the user group, a storage plan drawn up for the future accommodation of the Map Collection, and a retrospective cataloguing plan drafted to build on the retrospective cataloguing done during 1999.
• Equipment and facilities: two new E map cabinets and two bay of atlas shelving were provided, a new high-end public PC was provided to run the latest digital mapping applications.

Other Highlights of 1999

Services: An estimated 5500 clients (1998: 5200) were assisted in person with information queries by Map Section staff during the year. Approximately 30% of these users used digital data provided by the Section. An unknown number of other clients accessed information from the collection without staff assistance. A noteworthy trend is the increasing number of users who request material they have located on the Library catalogue, which demonstrates the value of efforts over the last few years to catalogue newly arriving materials and existing holdings. In addition, there were a total of 8500 "hits" on the Map Section home page during 1999 (1998: 6100); this figure includes only hits on the home page and excludes all other pages in the Map Section web site - each usage would normally include access to a variety of pages on the site.

Information literacy: John Cain presented five seminars as part of the first year Planning subject Skills and Communication. These sessions covered a range of map related issues including digital mapping, census data, aerial photography, historical mapping and map resources. Similar advanced reader education seminars were also provided to students from a range of other Departments. In additional, about 100 users were provided with advanced reference interviews where they were assisted to access and make quality use of digital mapping resources and services.

Professional activities: John Cain attended the Australian Map Circle annual conference in Brisbane. David Jones undertook training in the use of the MapInfo GIS. John Cain is National Secretary of the Australian Map Circle, a member of the Editorial Board for The Globe - journal of the Australian Map Circle, and is a members of the Standards Australia Committee IT/4 - Geographic Information which develops and reviews standards for geographic information systems, spatial data and mapping.

 
John Cain
Map Curator
20 February 2000

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