1. IST616: Information Resources: Organization and
Access
Professor Barbara H. Kwasnik
Assignment 3: Providing Access to “Nonprint”
Documents
November 23, 2010

2.  Cartographic materials include all materials that
represent the whole or part of the earth or any celestial
body. Some examples include: maps, globes, atlas’, and
electronic resources. For this presentation, I have
chosen to focus only on the problems involved with
cataloging maps.
 Chapter 3 of the Anglo-American Cataloging Resource
(AACR2R) has the standard information on how to
catalog Cartographic Materials, but I have also used
“Maps and Related Cartographic Materials,” by Andrew
and Larsgaard which gives a more in-depth view of
cataloging challenges involving these materials and how
to solve them.
Cartographic Materials

3. No one wanted to
catalog the maps….

4. Why catalog maps?
 maps are important sources of information
 cataloging provides more access points than a
geographic index, especially for maps covering more
than one area
 users are more likely to request (and use resources) that
are cataloged
 reduces wear (from browsing)
Catalogers must be able to make numerous decisions
when cataloging maps and they must understand
the needs of the users. Access is one of the key
factors to keep in mind when cataloging these
valuable resources.

5. Maps can present many
problems for Catalogers
These may include:
 Dating the map and/or determining what countries and
boundaries would be on the map at different time periods
 Lack of publishing details or obscure data
 Who are the authors, or involved parties?
 Accuracy of spatial data and/or drawn data (cartography)
 Scale or scales
 Languages used
 Country or area names may have changed over time

6. Where does information
come from when
cataloging a map?
 May be taken from any part of the map, not just
from the title page or it’s verso as in a book
 Information may be taken from the maps container
or other accompanying materials

7. The Average library user
 Looks for maps by location or subject, not by author

8. Chief Source of Information
Where might the Chief Source of Information be found on a map? Many places…
(Heiser, et.al)

9. 1. Title
 Problem: Maps quite often provide more than one title
from which to choose, a.k.a. Parallel titles
245 – Maps may have several titles. Take 245 title from actual map.
When map is folded there might be an alternate title. This is called a panel title.
246; 1;i Panel title: $a

10. Choice of title
 Problem: Sometimes it is difficult to decide what the
main title of a map is, since it can be located anywhere
on the “chief source”, and at times is printed more than
once, in more than one location, and with different
wording (grr!)
(Heiser, et.al)

11. 2. Main Entry Problems
 May be a personal name (e.g. the cartographer)
 May be a corporate name – but only if the corporate
body is responsible for more than just publication or
distribution of the map (see AACR2 21.1B2, category f)
 May be title (no primary responsible author/entity)
 Author added entries (both personal and corporate
names) are common
 “Areas of difference between books and maps are many:
primary identification of maps is with area rather than
with authority, and maps are frequently published by a
corporate (often a governmental) body. Determination of
author, especially for foreign maps, is not always easy;
even with U.S.-produced maps, authorship tends to be
diffuse.”
(Heiser, et.al)

12. Author
Who is the Author or cartographer, or group, or corporation that produced the map?

13. Problems: Statements of
Responsibility & Applying
Main Entry
 Maps may be the work of one person
 Maps may be the work of a group of people working
for a publishing agency or commercial company
 Individuals may not be named
(Heiser, et.al)

14. Corporate Author
Examples of maps with corporate authors:

15. Map with Author Unknown

16. 4. Date of Publication
Problem: How should a Map with no date be cataloged?

17. 5. Publisher and Place of
Publication
 Problems:
 Publisher is not mentioned anywhere on the map
 Distributor but not publisher is given

18. 6. Date of Publication
 Problems:
 No date of publication
 Different dates on cover
vs. legend

19. 7. Physical Description
 Problems:
 Margins are not
included in the
dimensions of the
map
 Neat lines, or the line
that encloses the
detail of the map may
not be linear: may
have irregular shapes
300 – The physical description consists of the number of items, color (if any),
material (if other than paper), mounting (if any), and size.

20. Neat Line
Explanation of map neat lines

21. Scale
Problem: Map with two different scales

22. Mathematical data
The main components of the mathematical data portion
of the catalog record contain:
 Scale
 Projection
 Coordinates

23. Scale
Scale is given on maps in 3 basic formats:
 Bar scale
 Verbal scale
 Representative fraction
034 – Coded cartographic material data – Data must also be entered in textual form in fie
255. Scale is always given in a representational fraction. If only the verbal scale is given,
it should be translated.
• Representative fraction
– 1:6,842,880
• Verbal scale
– 108 English Miles to 1 Inch

24. Bar Scale Example

25. Cataloging Problems
with Scale
 There is no scale on the map
 The scale of a map changes across the face of the
map (for instance, the scale is larger in the middle
than along the edges)
 More than one scale given

26. Map with No Scale
Given

27. Problem: Scale changes
The map scale changes with different projections, as seen in this map.

28. Multiple maps
Problem: Should they be cataloged separately or as a set?

29. Geographic subject
headings
 Maps always have a geographic component to the
subject(s)
 Sometimes the geographic area is the only subject
 Sometimes the geographic area is a subdivision of
a topical subject
 Problem: What if the country or geographic has
changed since the map was created?

30. Example: MARC Fields
used in Map Cataloging
http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~dbertuca/maps/cat/sample_record.html Map Cataloger’s Toolbox

31. Problems cataloging Rare
and Early Maps Cataloging early maps to create standard, consistent records for library
catalogs...involves, like all library cataloging, not simply following a set of
rules but also making a series of decisions.
 Competing, and at times conflicting, factors that affect those decisions:
 The amount of information content vs. the level of physical detail of the
individual map.
 The unique features of the individual map vs. matching it with the appropriate
and specific cartobibliographic citation.
 Application of the general rules for cartographic cataloging vs. special rules
and considerations for early material.
 Reconciling cataloging rules for early maps with those for rare books.
 Reconciling the desire for meticulous and detailed citation records with the
desire to get a larger number of existing items into the catalog.
 Enhancing and clarifying the map cataloging rules, so as to ease and speed
the work of the cataloger vs. allowing adequate flexibility and judgment where
needed.
Kovarsky, J. and Barber, M. (2006) Rare Map Cataloging: A Case of Special Considerations.
The Portolan. http://www.theprimemeridian.com/RareMapCatPDF.pdf

32. Troublesome units of
measurement on old maps
 Chain
 Furlong
 Heures de marche
 League
 Lieue
 Miles (that aren’t statute)
 Milliaria Germanica, Hispanica, etc
 Pole
 Toise
(Scale on Old Maps Powerpt)

33. Conclusion
 Maps are an important part of human history and
heritage. It is crucial that they are preserved and
maintained for others to utilize through the ages.
Librarians help preserve our culture through cataloging
and preserving maps and other cartographic materials
for all to utilize.
 Cataloging maps is a challenging job that makes these
resources available and accessible to users. Because
they are so different from traditional books, maps need
special considerations and because of this, different
fields in their MARC records that allow searching on
such elements as: scale, geographical areas, types of
maps, etc.

34. The Map Room at the NY Public Library (Photo: Peter Aaron/Esto)

35. Annotated Bibliography
 Map Cataloging Manual (from Library of Congress):
http://www.itsmarc.com/crs/map0001.htm
 Overview of Map Cataloging, from classification to special handling.
 Map Librarian's Toolbox, Cataloging & Processing section. From the
Western Association of Map Libraries (WAML).
http://www.waml.org/maptools.html
 Amazing webliography of resources organized by keyword.
 Map Cataloging: Learning the Basics:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/libmap/basics.pdf
 Helpful handouts from a workshop on Map Cataloging
 Map Cataloger’s Toolbox:
http://library.buffalo.edu/maps/mapresources/map_cat_tools.php
 Excellent annotated list of resources of anything and everything
pertaining to maps and map cataloging created by David Bartuca.
 Kovarsky, J. and Barber, M. (2006) Rare Map Cataloging: A Case of
Special Considerations. The
Portolanhttp://www.theprimemeridian.com/RareMapCatPDF.pdf
 Guide for how to catalog rare maps

36. Texts
 Cartographic Materials: a manual of interpretation for AACR2.
2nd ed. (edited by Elizabeth U. Mangan.) American Library
Association, 2003. (Available also via Cataloger’s Desktop)
 Cartographic Materials continues to be the essential
companion to AACR2 for map catalogers. This classic,
authoritative guide to cataloging cartographic materials has
now been revised and expanded to reflect current AACR2
terminology and additional forms of cartographic materials.
 Larsgaard, Mary Lynette. Map Librarianship: an introduction.
Libraries Unlimited, 1998. (3rd ed.)
 Essential for managing any spatial data collection. An
extensive bibliography leads you to many other great
resources. This new edition takes us into the digital age,
addressing the acquisition, storage, and use of digital data.
 Andrew, Paige G. Cataloging Sheet Maps: the basics.
Haworth Information Press, 2003.
 Provides the reader with step-by-step guidelines in applying
cataloging rules and rule interpretations, while creating full-
level and accurate bibliographic descriptions for sheet maps.

37. Powerpoints
 Scale on Old Maps Powerpt.Yale University Library
Cataloging and Metadata Services. Accessed at:
www.library.yale.edu/BeinCatM/map...files/scale_o
n_oldmaps.ppt
 Heiser, N., Wright, L. Introduction to Map Cataloging
Powerpoint. The Accidental Map Librarian
Workshop. University of Colorado, Boulder Map
Library. Accessed at:
http://maplibraries.pbworks.com/f/Map%20Catalogi
ng%20Powerpoint.ppt