WAML NEWS & NOTES
June 2001

Adonna Fleming, Editor

Electronic Version - June 2001.

1. News
      1.1. Study on Pricing and Policy for Geospatial Data in Canada
      1.2. Fellowships for 2001-2002
      1.3. Annual MAPublisher Map Competition
      1.4. Cartographic Advisory Council (CUAC) 2001 Meeting Minutes
      1.5. Position Announcement. Northwestern University
      1.6. Position Announcement. Texas Tech University
2. New Maps, Books, Etc.
      2.1 New Mapping of Western North America compiled by Ken Rockwell
      2.2 Articles of Interest
3. Contributors to this issue
4. The Western Association of Map Libraries

1. News

1.1.

Study on Pricing and Policy for Geospatial Data in Canada

The web site for the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure program [ http://www.geoconnections.org/] has the long awaited study on pricing and policy for geospatial data in Canada. The study, located under "What's New", was funded under the Policy Node of GeoConnections, and conducted by KPMG Consulting under the direction Tim Davis and Ed Kennedy. It provides some well researched and surveyed views about GIS data access in Canada from both the government and private sector viewpoints.

1.2.

Fellowships for 2001-2002

The American Geographical Society Collection, Golda Meir Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee welcomes applicants for Helen and John S. Best Research Fellowships. Stipends of $375 per week, for periods up to 4 weeks, will be awarded to support residencies for the purpose of conducting research which makes direct use of the Collection. The Fellowships will be tenable between December 3, 2001 and November 30, 2002. The AGS Collection, the former research library and map collection of the American Geographical Society of New York, has strengths in geography, cartography and related historical topics. Applications are due by September 17, 2001. For further information, write, call or e-mail the AGS Collection, P.O. Box 399, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0399, Tel. (414) 229-6282, E-mail agsc@leardo.lib.uwm.edu. Web site:http://leardo.lib.uwm.edu

1.3

MAPublisher Map Competition

Avenza Systems Inc., the producers of MAPublisher, are pleased to announce the creation of the Annual MAPublisher Map Competition with the first one set to begin July 1st, 2001. As we have learned over the years that many of our users have won awards and recognition with the maps that they have made with our products we have decided to hold our own competition to bring out the best of the best and showcase what MAPublisher can do when placed in the right hands. Prizes will be award to the best maps submitted. The full competition details can be viewed at http://www.avenza.com/MPcomp All questions may be sent to competition@avenza.com.

1.4.

Cartographic Advisory Council (CUAC) 2001 Meeting Minutes
April 17-18, 2001
LC G&M --Washington, D. C.
CUAC representatives:
Janet Collins, Western Washington University (WAML)
Mike Furlough, University of Virginia (MAGERT)
Donna Koepp, University of Kansas (GODORT)
Clara McLeod, Washington University (GIS)
Bruce Obenhaus, Virginia Tech (SLA G&M)
Celia Pratt, University of North Carolina (SLA G&M)
Dan Seldin, Indiana University (NACIS)
Richard Spohn, University of Cincinnati (GIS)
Paul Stout, Ball State University (NACIS)
Christopher JJ Thiry, Colorado School of Mines (WAML)
Mark Thomas, Duke University (MAGERT)

Presenters:
Robin Haun-Mohamed (GPO)
Tad Downing (GPO)
Rea Mueller (USGS)
John Hebert (LC G&M)
Jim Lusby (NIMA)
Tim Trainor (Census)
Roger Payne (US BGN)
Nancy Haack (NPS)
Christine Clarke (NRCS)
Doug Vandegraft (F&WS)

Attendees
Vi Moorhead (LC Cataloging)
Chip Woodward (LC Cataloging)
Wilford Daniels (LC Cataloging)
Patricia Banks (NOAA)
Sharon Kemp (NOAA)

Presentations:

CUAC Members

    1. Copyright and Free Access Issues- Mark Thomas
    2. CRADAS and Free Access- Janet Collins
    3. Preservation and Public Access- Donna Koepp
    4. GIS in Libraries - Mike Furlough
    5. Summary- Christopher Thiry
Agencies
  1. Government Printing Office- Robin Huan-Mohamed, Tad Downing
  2. Geological Survey- Rea Mueller
  3. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division- John Hebert
  4. National Imagery and Mapping Agency- Jim Lusby
  5. Census Bureau- Tim Trainor
  6. Board of Geographic Names- Roger Payne
  7. National Park Service- Nancy Haack
  8. National Resources Conservation Services- Christine Clarke
  9. Fish and Wildlife Service- Doug Vandegraft

COPYRIGHT AND FREE ACCESS ISSUES
Mark Thomas

Copyright

The United States has a long tradition of government-funded basic research to provide the infrastructure needed for an informed citizenry and to provide the building blocks for academic and private research. It also has a tradition of copyright-free government publications, based on the belief that the property rights of government information resides with the people as a whole. This is something that sets this country apart from others-it's a tradition of which we should be proud and should try to preserve.

Free Access

Public money has paid for the collection and compilation of the information. A corollary to this is the implication that government agencies have the obligation to provide some sort of results or output to the public who funded it: giving the deliverables to the sponsors, as it were. Dissemination is just the final step; free access should be funded at this point as an integral portion of the government research process.

The concept of depository libraries-the idea that government information should be deposited in repositories for the use of the public-goes back to the early 19th century. By the late 1850s, the feature of congressional designation of depositories in districts or states had developed. The Printing Act of 1895 moved the Superintendent of Documents to the Government Printing Office (GPO) and ushered in the modern era of depositories. Title 44, chapters 19 and 13, of the United States Code requires agencies to provide material to the public through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).

Benefits to the Agency

Freely available data, whether tangible products distributed through libraries or material provided free on the Internet, is good publicity for the agency. In many cases, such as with topographic maps or nautical charts, the library acts as a "showroom," since librarians frequently tell patrons how to purchase the products for themselves. Best selling commercial books are held by public libraries, often in multiple volumes, but this doesn't prevent them from becoming best sellers. For convenience or to have more control, many users always prefer to acquire material directly for themselves.

Even in cases, such as with many electronic products, where the a government agency disseminates material for free, the open access model has benefits for the agency. Besides advertising specific products, it "advertises" the agency; good publicity can never hurt when it's time for funding to be renewed. Familiarizing users with the products and services of the agency will build and expand the user base for that agency's services and info.
The Census Bureau has sold, for instance, CDs of 1990 Census data. Nonetheless, these were also available for free to libraries through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). They eventually, with the advent of the World Wide Web, put this material on the Internet. This is a good model for all agencies.

For all the reasons listed above, benefiting the general public and the issuing agency alike, we urge the federal producers of maps and geospatial data to maintain this nation's longstanding tradition of free access to government-funded information.

USEFUL REFERENCES

Government Information


American Library Association (ALA). Government Documents Round Table (GODORT). Principles on Government Information
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/GODORT/prin_GODORT.html

National Commission on Library and Information Science (NCLIS).
NCLIS Principles of Public Information http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/GODORT/prin_nclis.html

Federal Depository Library Program

ALA GODORT.
The Federal depository Library Program (fact sheet)
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/GODORT/9704fact.html.

ALA Washington Office.
Federal Depository Library Program Fact Sheet
http://www.ala.org/washoff/fdlpbackground.html

United States Code. Title 44.
http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/cong013.html

United States Government Printing Office (GPO)
Snapshots of the Federal Depository Library Program (historical overview)
http://ww1.access.gpo.gov/gpoaccess/fdlp/history/snapshot.html

CRADAS AND FREE ACCESS
Janet Collins

  1. A trend with your agency?
  2. How do you see it changing what you do within your agency?
  3. What are the potential impacts to the depository program?
  4. Will we still have free access to the information through the depository program? For how long? In what format?
  5. Will the information be copyrighted? Potential costs?
  6. How do we respond to the public that questions taxpayer-based information being copyrighted?
  7. Can we work together to assure free access to government information, ongoing participation in the depository program, and benefit everyone?


PPA FOR CARTOGRAPHIC AND SPATIAL ELECTRONIC DATA
Donna Koepp

  1. What is your agency doing to archive your products? Will these archives be public and freely available?
  2. Are snap shots at regular intervals being taken of products that are continually being updated in an electronic environment?
  3. If some of your agencies products are being produced cooperatively-either with another federal agency or with a commercial sector partner (CRADA) are these products being archived in a way that they will continue to be freely accessible to the public?
  4. Have you considered, when negotiating a CRADA, fitting into the agreement enough copies of your product to fulfill the need of the GPO depository library program?
  5. The Cartographic/GIS library community is an excellent way to advertise the availability of your products and how they can be used. Is there any way you can think of that we might assist you in meeting your goals or mission?


GIS IN LIBRARIES
Mike Furlough

Constituencies
Information Needs
Models of service
Levels of expertise
Metadata and Cataloging