The LIBER Gd C map library usage survey
The LIBER Gd. C map library usage survey, Summer 2003: A mandate for change? Nick Millea Map Librarian, Bodleian Library University of Oxford, UK
LIBER Gd. C Survey: key statistics • Survey period: 3 months (1 June to 1 September 2003) • Questionnaires available in 15 languages via the Gd. C website • Institutions responding: 25 • Completed surveys: 505
• Source of completed questionnaires
Completed questionnaires by country • • • • Croatia (HR) Estonia (EST) France (F) Hungary (H) Ireland (IRL) Latvia (LV) Netherlands (NL) Slovenia (SLO) Spain (E) Sweden (S) Switzerland (CH) United Kingdom (GB) TOTAL: 505 33 15 22 11 8 55 46 10 31 20 64 190
Institutions completing questionnaires • • • National Libraries University Libraries Special Libraries Archives Mapping Organisations Public Libraries 8 10 3 3 1 0
Map Users • HOME NATIONALS • EUROPE - 87. 52% • FOREIGN NATIONALS • EUROPE - 11. 09% • • • • • • CH E EST F GB H HR IRL LV NL S SLO 92. 19% 96. 77% 93. 33% 54. 55% 80. 53% 100% 94. 94% 75. 00% 100% 95. 65% 85. 00% 100% CH E EST F GB H HR IRL LV NL S SLO 3. 12% 0 6. 77% 45. 45% 17. 89% 0 6. 06% 25. 00% 0 4. 35% 15. 00% 0
Most popular subjects • EUROPE: History 29% • • • CH E EST F GB H HR IRL LV NL S SLO : Recreation/Tourism 19% : Cartography 23% : History of Cartography 33% : History 45% : History 31% : History 36% : History 33% : Archaeology 50%, History 50% : Recreation/Tourism 45% : History 46% : History 30% : History 20%
Accessing the map collection • Country CH E Means of access (over 30%) Card cat. 31 On line cat. 41 Author Geog’l location Thematic Online graphic ind. Internet Bibliographies Other CH E EST F GB H 67 73 39 36 73 59 40 33 36 47 59 34 45 47 33 HR IRL LV NL S SLO Europe 53 37 37 8 29 50 13 2 30 17 10 12 SLO Europe 31 35 50 30 50 62 36 EST F GB H 38 35 HR IRL LV NL S
Q 11: Did you need staff help?
Q 12: Did you use reference works?
Q 13: Do reference works meet your needs?
Q 14: Did you find what you were looking for?
Q 15: Are you satisfied with the reading room?
What do users want? • • • Purpose-built mapping tables Improved seating Improved lighting Improved opening hours Enhanced copying facilities Coffee machines
Specific user requests • Digital data direct to the map library with access via the local area network • Access to the Internet • A quiet working environment • “More military maps” • “Install a card catalogue to replace the online catalogue”
A mandate for change? [1] • Why change? We’re doing alright! • No definite evidence of increasing map usage as predicted by Smits (1991) • Greater automation of catalogues?
A mandate for change? [2] • Embrace the digital era - staff guidance tends to be required • Greater emphasis on the Gd. C Working Group for Education website - how useful is this site? • Greater exploitation of the liber-gdc listserv • Multilingual exploitation of these resources
A mandate for change? [3] • Europe-wide map acquisitions policy? • Series mapping and indexes available via a single website? • Creation of pan-European union catalogues? - is EU funding an option? • Extra staffing to do all the work!
Expected change: 1987/8 to 2003 • Rising map user expectations in terms of catalogues and materials • Increased automation of catalogues • Local catalogues linked to union catalogues • National guides to map collections
Reported change: 1987/8 to 2003 • Rising map user expectations in terms of catalogues and materials • New study subjects - Environmental change, etc. • Increased automation of catalogues • Local catalogues linked to union catalogues ACHIEVED - COPAC, IKAR, etc. • Electronic news bulletin for map curators advocated … ACHIEVED! - liber-gdc listserv
Obstacles to change • Inadequate staffing levels • Insufficient funding - “We’re all fundraisers now” • Local then National then International priorities • Lack of political power - map collections are all small parts of large organisations • Lack of political power within LIBER?
Post-Cambridge action plan (1) • Decide on a pan-European project ……. - THIS WEEK! (Is this a job for our Board? ) • Set up a project steering group • Board to make a proposal to LIBER requesting support • LIBER to convince our institutions of the project’s value • Seek funding • Any suggestions? ? ?
Post-Cambridge action plan (2) • Some possibilities: • 1) Series mapping and indexes, for example “Au. Hu 75”; • 2) ESRI support for GIS in European map collections • Any volunteers? ? ?
Additional information • Groupe des Cartothécaires website: http: //www. maps. ethz. ch/gdc-education. html • Location of questionnaire: http: //www. maps. ethz. ch/gdc -education. html#questionnaire • Full report to be made available in Geoscapes: a Journal of Geography and Geospatial Information and Collections (publication imminent)
The LIBER Gd. C map library usage survey, Summer 2003: A mandate for change? Nick Millea Map Librarian, Bodleian Library University of Oxford, OX 1 3 BG, UK tel. : +44 1865 287119 email: nam@bodley. ox. ac. uk
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