Features

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Features Winter 2023

Hello WAML Members,

I hope your fall has been a good one. It was great to see you all at the conference in August & it already has me looking forward to Albuquerque! I’ve included a Maps-L listserv round up regarding the discussion about the Federal Depository Library Program moving to all digital formats, which includes a link to the New Limited Print Distribution Framework, published on November 9, 2023, at the end of the Features.

As always feel free to email me at browngl@uwm.edu if you want to highlight your collection, be interviewed for the Features, etc.

-Georgia

Lectures:

December 5, 2023 – Denver India Wood will speak about The Navigation of the Colorado-X Now, and Then at a Rocky Mountain Map Society meeting.

December 6, 2023 – Washington (Online) 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Hosted by the Washington Map Society, this Zoom meeting is presented in partnership with the California, Chicago, New York, Philip Lee Phillips, Rocky Mountain, and Texas Map Societies. Anyone interested in participating in the meeting must RSVP to John Docktor at <washmap(at)gmail.com> in order to receive the meeting ID and passcode. Imre Demhardt (Virginia and Jenkins Garrett Endowed Chair in the History of Cartography, University of Texas at Arlington; Chair: International Cartographic Association, Commission on the History of Cartography) will discuss The Changing Map of the Island of Enchantment: Puerto Rico and the Spanish-American War of 1898.

December 20, 2023 – Boston Join Leventhal Map & Education Center, Rabb Hall, Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, at 6:00 pm ET with Jake Berman for a talk on his new book, The Lost Subways of North America: A Cartographic Guide to the Past, Present, and What Might Have Been. The Lost Subways of North America offers a new way to consider this eternal question, with a strikingly visual—and fun—journey through past, present, and unbuilt urban transit. Using meticulous archival research, cartographer and artist Jake Berman has successfully plotted maps of old train networks covering twenty-three North American metropolises, ranging from New York City’s Civil War–era plan for a steam-powered subway under Fifth Avenue to the ultramodern automated Vancouver SkyTrain and the thousand-mile electric railway system of pre–World War II Los Angeles. He takes us through colorful maps of old, often forgotten streetcar lines, lost ideas for never-built transit, and modern rail systems—drawing us into the captivating transit histories of US and Canadian cities. Berman combines vintage styling with modern printing technology to create a sweeping visual history of North American public transit and urban development. With more than one hundred original maps, accompanied by essays on each city’s urban development, this book presents a fascinating look at North American rapid transit systems.

December 21, 2023 – Chicago The Chicago Map Society will meet at 5:30pm Central at Newberry Library – Ruggles Hall. There will be a Holiday Party.

February 20, 2024 – Washington (Online) 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Hosted by the Washington Map Society, this Zoom meeting is presented in partnership with the California, Chicago, New York, Philip Lee Phillips, Rocky Mountain, and Texas Map Societies. Anyone interested in participating in the meeting must RSVP to John Docktor at washmap(at)gmail.com in order to receive the meeting ID and passcode. Fred Rickey (Professor Emeritus, United States Military Academy) is an historian of mathematics. He will discuss George Washington, Surveyor.

Exhibits:

Conferences:

Maps-L Round up:

1

All,
***Please, someone who knows more about this, chime in***
Our Gov Docs person has told me GPO will be dramatically pulling back how many maps they print & limiting the number of libraries that actually receive paper maps.  The number of libraries receiving paper maps could drop to 50 in total for the entire USA.

Our Gov Docs person sent me this email:
“FDLP is asking whether we want to continue to receive paper maps for the following titles/categories:”
  *   Forest Service Maps and Charts
  *   Forest Service 7.5-Minute Series
  *   Forest Service Recreation/Visitors Guides (National Forests and Regions)(RG series)
  *   Forest Atlas of the United States
  *   Census Bureau Maps
  *   USGS Scientific Investigation Maps
  *   NPS (National Park Service) Maps
  *   Fish and Wildlife Service Maps and Charts
  *   BLM Maps & Map Folders
  *   BLM 1:100,000 Scale Maps, Surface Management Status
  *   BLM 1:100,000 Scale Maps, Surface Minerals Management Status

GPO has a survey out right now on this topic.  The survey closes 10/3.
USGS topos & most of their geology maps when digital-only about 15 years ago.
I still have a bias towards paper maps.  But it sounds like the train has left the station….

Christopher J.J. Thiry
Map & GIS Librarian
Academic Outreach Coordinator
Colorado School of Mines

2

From: Aimee C Quinn <AIMEE.QUINN@nau.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 1:36 PM
To: MAPS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU; Chris Thiry <cthiry@MINES.EDU>
Subject: Re: GPO & printed maps?

Hi, Chris and all.

This survey is related to the All-digital FDLP which is moving along.  Letters were sent from the GPO to FDLP Coordinators and Library Deans/Directors last month explaining the upcoming changes to the program including impacts in item selections to tangible collections beginning with the profiles updating in October.  The changes to an all digital FDLP include maps.  These letters include invitations to a virtual meetings to discuss these changes.  You may attend one of these meetings by registering

For those of you whose communities continue to use print maps, inform your depository coordinators, but the number of print availability will be limited.

I hope this information helps.  I am certain the Outreach folks at GPO can answer any other questions.

Warmly,
Aimée

Aimée C. Quinn
Assistant Librarian
NAU-Yuma Campus

Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2023 20:38:52 +0000
From: Aimee C Quinn <AIMEE.QUINN@NAU.EDU>
Subject: Re: GPO & printed maps?

From the West NCSA meeting today, assessment of print materials by GPO is happening now via survey to Regional depository coordinators and to Preservation Stewards.  The need for print is going to be gauged by the response to these surveys so if you need print maps, please make certain your depository coordinators make certain their regional coordinator and preservation stewards know.

That is the new I have regarding maps.

Warmly,
Aimée

Aimée C. Quinn
Assistant Librarian

3

All,

Yes, it is true.  GPO is eliminating almost all print distribution through the Federal Depository Library Program. It’s not just maps.  There is a very short list of items that will continue to be available in print to any FDLP Library that wants them.  There’s also a short list of items they will produce 20, or in some cases 50, copies to be distributed to libraries across the country.  The survey you are being asked to provide input for will help determine which libraries get print of which materials.  The intent is that physical materials are equitably distributed across the country.  Also, Regional Libraries or Libraries with preservation stewardship agreements will probably get priority.

The list you provided is all the cartographic materials that are on the list to be continued in at least a limited print run. One other item that may be of interest to people on this list is the

Geological Survey- Minerals Yearbook

This week GPO is holding webinars for Federal Depository Library Coordinators to roll out GPOs plan to move over to almost 100% digital FDLP. I haven’t heard from any other Fed Docs Librarians, but I suspect that many are reeling with the speed and scope of what is going forward.  It’s not that the process is unexpected, it’s the fact that we seem to be going for 5 mph to 100 mph that is giving us whiplash.

When I saw the list, I was surprised to see how many maps were on it to be continued in limited print rather than not distributed at all. I think some of the map series map the list because an argument was made that there was no good digital equivalent and we needed at least some print copies to represent the record of the US Government.

Kathy Stroud

Cartographic and Government Information Librarian
1299 University of Oregon Libraries
Eugene, OR 97403
541-346-3051

4

Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2023

From: Sierra Laddusaw <Sierra.Laddusaw@UAFS.EDU>
Subject: Re: GPO & printed maps?

I imagine this comes out of the recommendation a taskforce made, you can read the recommendation and see the taskforce members at: https://www.gpo.gov/who-we-are/news-media/news-and-press-releases/task-force-recommends-a-digital-federal-depository-library-program

Sierra Laddusaw
(she/her)
Scholarly Communication Librarian
Boreham Library
University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
sierra.laddusaw@uafs.edu<mailto:sierra.laddusaw@uafs.edu>

Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:39:30 +0000
From: Edward Sullivan <egads@EPSYS.COM>
Subject: Re: GPO & printed maps?

5

I’m wondering if anyone has seriously pondered the wisdom of this decision long-term?

Digital storage is temporary at best; at risk from the effects of intentional or unintentional, natural or artificial EMP events; aging of the storage media; progressive integrity loss due to cosmic rays; obsolescence of the storage retrieval formats and apparatus; etc., etc., etc…

Edward A. Sullivan, III
Senior Technical Associate
Email: egads@epsys.com<mailto:egads@epsys.com>

6

Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2023 07:58:23 -0600
From: Craig Haggit <khaggit@DENVERLIBRARY.ORG>
Subject: Re: GPO & printed maps?

I see large-format print-on-demand services becoming more popular in the
near future. Map collectors will note this as the time all government
original-issue maps have instant rarity value. Which brings up security
issues for the few that do get distributed.

A depository option to pay a nominal fee to the GPO to get a print copy
from the same print run seems like a good compromise for those that don’t
get selected to get one free.
Craig

Craig Haggit
Map and Geospatial Librarian, Special Collections and Archives
Denver Public Library

7


Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2023 15:25:31 +0000
From: “Sadvari, Joshua” <sadvari.1@OSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: GPO & printed maps?

Shameless Plug Alert:

This is an interesting discussion. As an incoming co-editor of the Journal of Map & Geography Libraries, I would love to see some folks write about the challenges and opportunities this kind of shift brings for map and gov doc library professionals and now and into the future.

Best,

Josh

[The Ohio State University]
Joshua W. Sadvari
Assistant Professor
Geospatial Information Librarian
University Libraries Research Services

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