2 - Online Catalogues and Advice on Scale, Cataloguing and Conservation
Map collection catalogues online
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Library Hub Discover (The new COPAC, from 31 July 2019).
A union catalogue which gives free access to the merged online catalogues of university, research and special libraries in the UK. See the list of contributing libraries for details and cautions. IMPORTANT NOTE: many map collections do not have online catalogues and so their collections will not be searchable via this or any other online catalogue.
Most of their catalogue records will also be in Library Hub Discover
This site also has lots of useful links. Although the emphasis is on catalogues containing early maps many will also contain more modern materials.
Map scale and coordinates
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This guide to map scale was produced by the University of Arizona
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Help from the US Geological Survey on scale
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Scale Finder converts linear scales to representative fractions and vice-versa. Written by Nigel James when he worked at the Bodleian Library, it is an invaluable tool for cataloguers and map users and is free to non-commercial users.
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Scale Buddy. Help with scale calculation from Maps International. Does not need to be downloaded.
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Map Scale Calculator. MapTools also produces grids, corner rulers, roamers, and rulers to assist with plotting or measuring positions on many different scales of maps. Tools for both UTM/MGRS and Latitude/Longitude coordinates are available.
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Scale Calculator. Inches, centimeters, miles, kilometres. From Terry Reese.
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Some of the links of the Cambridge University Library Map Department web pages may also be useful
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Bounding Box. Free online tool for determining bounding coordinates of maps.
Natural scale indicators
These devices enable a quick calculation of scale from scale bars and degrees of latitude.
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A handy clear plastic one can be purchased from Alberta Wood in Canada.N.B. In March 2017 Alberta emailed to say that she had no more in a saleable condition but might look into reprinting.
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East View Map Link Scalefinder by East View Press (paper natural scale indicator)
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YouTube video on how to use a Natural Scale Indicator
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The U. S. Geological Survey has published a poster to aid the conversion of bar scales to representative fractions: Miscellaneous Field Studies Map, No.MF 1141, 'Graphs showing linear to fractional scale conversions for maps', by Alpha, T.R. and Poole, D.W., 1979, SAP Number 30236.
Cataloguing of maps
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Guide to Cataloguing Printed Maps - Guidance notes for the occasional map cataloguer by Paula Williams and available on the Historic Libraries Forum website.
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MARC standards for cataloguing Also information on RDA in MARC
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Library of Congress Map Cataloging Manual in their Cataloger's Reference Shelf
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Guidelines for Distinguishing Cartographic Electronic Resources from other Electronic Resources from the Library of Congress's MARC Office
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ISBD (CM): International Standard Bibliographic Description for Cartographic Materials from IFLA. Revised 1999 [PDF]
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Descriptive Cataloguing of Rare Materials (Cartographic), or DCRM(C)
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Descriptive Cataloguing of Rare Materials (Manuscripts), or DCRM(MSS)
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Map Cataloger's Toolbox from State University of New York at Buffalo
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See also the Cataloguing section on our Bibliographies page for the basic texts on map cataloguing
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Useful information of the changes to genre/form subject headings for maps made by the Library of Congress in 2010 and on current practice
Conservation of maps
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The Institute of Conservation (Icon). Their Conservation Register will help you find qualified conservators / restorers in the UK and Ireland
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Suppliers - For conservation suppliers see the equipment and supplies page
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Queries on conservation or preservation can be placed on the Global Conservation Forum, an international listserv at Conservation OnLine
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Electronic Resource Preservation and Access Network (ERPANET) is concerned with approaches to existing and future digital preservation problems.
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Preservation Leaflets from Northeast Document Conservation Centre (NEDCC).
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Scrapbook. "Learn how to prevent destruction and preserve personal and historical items for future generations. This page is designed to be the most extensive, and comprehensive page on the protection and preservation of paper on the internet".
These pages were compiled by: April Carlucci (British Library Map Library); Tinho da Cruz (Department of Geography, University of Liverpool); Anne Taylor (Cambridge University Library). They are maintained by the Map Curators' Group of the BCS. Colleagues are requested to help keep this information current by e-mailing suggestions for inclusion, and details of links that don't work.