Map Library hidden gem on campus

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By Carrie Simmons
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A map in the Serge A. Sauer Map Library might point you toward geographical or historical treasures. But just by finding that map, you've located the real treasure: the Map Library is a hidden gem on campus.
 
 
Western BMOS students Nancy Chen and Di Zhang check some of the hundreds of thousands of maps in the Serge A. Sauer Map Library in the Social Sciences Centre.
 

Created by the Geography Department in the 1960s, the Map Library has been providing reference materials to scholars for nearly half a century.
 
This May, Western Libraries took over operation of the collection to bring together the information services available on campus.
 
Currently housed on the ground floor of the Social Science Centre, the Map Library is full of maps of all areas of the world and all types of information. As well as over 220,000 unique maps, the library is also home to over 2,000 atlases, several GIS workstations and a collection of aerial photographs of the London area.
 
Taking care of it all is map librarian Cheryl Woods, who says she has the best job on campus.
 
“It's exciting because you never know what kind of questions you are going to be asked. People who come in here for the first time are amazed and want to wander. And we certainly encourage browsing – it's enlightening!”
 
She says the transition from the Geography Department to Western Libraries may help increase the visibility of the Map Library.
 
Operating under Western Libraries may ultimately mean a move to provide enhanced services for students and researchers, but no decision has been made. The hope is to reach a wider cross-section of campus.
 
“We now hope to appeal to a broader base of users, including students from English, Earth and Health Sciences,” Woods said. “As well, we'll be working on a new data delivery service for geospatial data to offer this new clientele.”
 
Geography students, professors, other Western staff and even local genealogists and land developers already use the Map Library.
 
After all, Woods says, where else can you find both original maps from as long ago as 1597 and a depository of the most up-to-date sailing charts?
 
Researchers in the Map Library are treated to an integrated approach that uses materials like printed charts and atlases alongside GIS data and electronic maps.
 
Woods believes both printed material and web-based services have something to offer. However, she cautions people to avoid relying exclusively on online sources.
 
“There are a lot of answers you just can't find with digital maps yet,” she said. “Google Maps and console GPS systems are like eye-candy. You can get lost in using them because they're nice, they're 'wow-y', but they're just not a complete alternative to paper yet.”
 
Woods suggests both mediums be used together for a comprehensive understanding of a geographical area. And the Map Library is set up to help people gain that understanding with ease.
 
The paper collection is organized with frequently used materials near the front of the room, including maps of London, Canada, and the world. Towards the back of the room, continents are grouped by color and maps of countries are alphabetized, making the collection accessible to any user.
 
Having worked in the Map Library since her days as an undergraduate, Woods has extensive knowledge of the collection to point researchers in the right direction if the collection's organization doesn't do the trick.
 
She describes working on research projects as “a treasure hunt that yields rewarding results.” She also likes to show library visitors some other treasures that are worth a peek.
 
“We have a raised relief globe that shows the elevation of mountains, islands and tectonic plates. We also have globes of the moon, Mars and Venus. These types of things are appealing, they're tactile and tell you a lot that political globes do not.”
 
In an increasingly digital age, Woods argues that maps are more important now than ever before. She says people still use maps, and often more than they realize.
 
“I defy anyone to say they don't see a map every day. They are on buses, on TV, in newspaper advertisements, and on invitations. Most people think of maps as road maps. But there are soil maps, health-related maps, nuclear facility maps. There is so much more to a map than just directions on how to get from point A to point B.”  
 
The writer is a master’s student studying journalism. 
 
 
* This article was revised Sept. 25 to amend information in the original article.
 

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