1. The LIBER GdC map library usage survey, Summer 2003:
A mandate for change?
Nick Millea
Map Librarian, Bodleian Library
University of Oxford, UK

2. LIBER GdC Survey: key statistics
Survey period: 3 months (1 June to 1 September 2003)
Questionnaires available in 15 languages via the GdC website
Institutions responding: 25
Completed surveys: 505

3. Source of completed questionnaires

4. 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) 190
TOTAL: 505

5. Institutions completing questionnaires
National Libraries 8
University Libraries 10
Special Libraries 3
Archives
Mapping Organisations 1
Public Libraries 0

6. Map Users HOME NATIONALS EUROPE - 87.52% FOREIGN NATIONALS
CH %
E %
EST %
F %
GB %
H 100%
HR %
IRL %
LV 100%
NL %
S %
SLO 100%
FOREIGN NATIONALS
EUROPE %
CH %
E 0
EST %
F %
GB %
H 0
HR %
IRL %
LV 0
NL %
S %
SLO 0

7. Most popular subjects EUROPE: History 29% CH : Recreation/Tourism 19%
E : Cartography 23%
EST : History of Cartography 33%
F : History 45%
GB : History 31%
H : History 36%
HR : History 33%
IRL : Archaeology 50%, History 50%
LV : Recreation/Tourism 45%
NL : History 46%
S : History 30%
SLO : History 20%

8. Accessing the map collection
Country CH E EST F GB H HR IRL LV NL S SLO Europe
Means of access (over 30%)
Card cat
On line cat
Author
Geog’l location
Thematic
Online graphic ind
Internet
Bibliographies
Other
CH E EST F GB H HR IRL LV NL S SLO Europe

9. Q11: Did you need staff help?

10. Q12: Did you use reference works?

11. Q13: Do reference works meet your needs?

12. Q14: Did you find what you were looking for?

13. Q15: Are you satisfied with the reading room?

14. What do users want? Purpose-built mapping tables Improved seating
Improved lighting
Improved opening hours
Enhanced copying facilities
Coffee machines

15. 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”

16. 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?

17. A mandate for change? [2]
Embrace the digital era staff guidance tends to be required
Greater emphasis on the GdC Working Group for Education website how useful is this site?
Greater exploitation of the liber-gdc listserv
Multilingual exploitation of these resources

18. 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!

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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?

22. 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???

23. Post-Cambridge action plan (2)
Some possibilities:
1) Series mapping and indexes, for example “AuHu75”;
2) ESRI support for GIS in European map collections
Any volunteers???

24. Additional information
Groupe des Cartothécaires website:
Location of questionnaire:
Full report to be made available in Geoscapes: a Journal of Geography and Geospatial Information and Collections (publication imminent)

25. The LIBER GdC map library usage survey, Summer 2003:
A mandate for change?
Nick Millea
Map Librarian, Bodleian Library
University of Oxford, OX1 3BG, UK
tel.: