Lost in the Stacks: Assessing a Map Room for Content, Services, and Space Considerations

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Lost in the Stacks Assessing a Map Room for
Content, Services, and Space Considerations

• Angelique Jenks-Brown
• Binghamton University, NY
• Geoscience Information Society Annual Conference
• October 8, 2008

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Background

• Located in the Science Library
• Houses maps from US Federal Depository Program
  and individual purchases
• Modest annual budget
• Self-service facility
• Assessment prompted by environmental conditions

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Assessment Consisted of

• Interviews Map Librarian, University
  Departmental Liaisons, Library staff
• Observations Patron use in the Map Room
• Statistics Reshelving and circulating

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Map Collection Needs

• Replace missing USGS topographic maps
• More geologic maps
• Up-to-date US Census Maps
• Up-to-date atlases for world regions
• Update Map Room reference collection
• Continue to catalog non-cataloged maps
• Explore deselection and transfer from the
  collection
• Electronic maps

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Map Room Use

• Geology course assignments
• Few geography course assignments
• Students faculty traveling for research
• Informally offered services
• Group study space
• Practicing presentations

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Reshelving Statistics
Jan. 2005 Jul. 2008
456 USGS Quadrangles 345 Cataloged Maps 229
Atlases Reference Books
63 NOAA 58 Other Gov Docs 13 Other USGS Series 11
DMA
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Circulating Statistics
Jan. 2005 Aug. 2008
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Map Room Services Equipment Needs

• Staffing
• Alternate room locations
• Scanner
• Investigated
• Print On Demand
• Plotter

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Assessment Recommendations

• Staffing
• Hire Library Map Room Student Assistant(s)
• Self-service facility
• Collection
• Add electronic maps
• Catalog Maps
• Purchase large format scanner
• Space
• Relocation of the Map Room
• Try to maintain in a single location

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Challenges to Implementing Recomendations

• Funding
• Map Room usage

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Questions?
Contact Angelique Jenks-Brown ajbrown_at_binghamton.
edu 607-777-4596