Vol VIII, No. 2 - Fall/Winter 2000
Contents |
In Focus |
Mapmaking |
Geonews |
Profile |
Quiz
Mary Galneder is map librarian at the Arthur H. Robinson Map Library. She is in charge of acquisitions, cataloging, and reference for maps and air photos for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
MSL takes pride in the accuracy of the maps produced for our clients. One of the major reasons for our success in providing factually correct maps is ready access to the map library at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Named after the eminent American cartographer Arthur Robinson, the collection is comprehensive and up-to-date. Mary Galneder, the map librarian, has worked at the library for more than 35 years. She not only is knowledgeable about resources in the collection but also assists us in using the best available source in producing our maps.
According to Mary the collection houses over 500,000 maps, aerial photos, and gazetteers, including over 270,000 sheet maps. The library has been a depository for the U.S. Geological Survey since the 1890s. Other agency depositories - including the National Ocean Survey, Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Land Management - were added later. It also is a depository for topographic maps of Canada.
MSL's principal use of the library is for contemporary maps needed for street and travel products. When a client requests an up-to-date non-U.S. political map, Mary can provide information for boundaries, rivers, and the like. Both maps and gazetteers - published by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names - are also used extensively for trade and reference clients.
As in much of life, Mary has noticed that computers and technology have made the greatest impact on the library during her tenure. Selected digital line graph data and digital raster graph images are available in the library either on CD or via the Internet. She currently is working on adding map records to the University's on-line library catalog. She maintains that one of the biggest impacts of technology on her job is the ability to find information about and to purchase new maps via the Internet. Prior to e-commerce, purchasing a new set of maps, let alone a single sheet, may have taken months through traditional correspondence.
The Robinson Library also houses historical map documents. A complete set of 1:100,000 scale turn-of-the-19th-century German Empire maps is kept. A set of pre-World War II 1:50,000 scale Japanese topographic maps presumably collected by the late Professor of Geography, Glenn Trewartha is resident. And of course, since the library is part of a state university, Mary tries to maintain a comprehensive collection of maps relating to Wisconsin including more than 225,000 aerial photographs dating back to the 1930s.
All in all, Mary and the collection of maps of which she is in charge are great assets not only to the University community, but to you our clients. Because of our ready access to such an extensive resource, MSL is able to provide the most authoritative, complete, and accurate maps available. The library is open to the general public. Mary may also be reached by phone at 608.262.1471 or by e-mail: maplib@uwmadmail.services.wisc.edu.
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