Mapping the World:

collaborative support for research on overseas mapping

The aim of this project is to open up a major under-used resource for research in a wide range of disciplines in the Humanities and Social Sciences by targeted series-level cataloguing of post-1850 overseas mapping. This will facilitate remote access to key materials by converting map library catalogue records, which at present are held on cards and accessible only to researchers visiting the libraries in person. This is a pioneering project for the UK map library community, and it is hoped that it will act as a prototype for future projects.

The lead institution for Mapping the World is the University of Oxford and there are six other CURL institutions participating.

• University of Oxford (lead site)

• University of Birmingham

• University of Cambridge

• University of Edinburgh

• Imperial College

• University of London (Senate House)

• University of Manchester

The project officially runs from November 1999 until 31 July 2002 with the individual partners involved for different periods of time. Oxford and Cambridge are contributing for over two years, and Manchester for two years. Edinburgh, Birmingham and the University of London have each contributed to the project for one year, with Imperial College joining the project for five months. The Bodleian Library Map Room is acting as the co-ordinating body on behalf of Oxford University.

A distributed model for cataloguing has been adopted, so that each institution organises its own cataloguing and is responsible for providing a target number of records. The records created are added to the CURL database, with its associated online catalogue (COPAC), hosted by Manchester Computing as a JISC-funded national service. This is the first stage in a longer term aim to provide electronic access to the entire map collections of the project partners, and also to encourage other institutions to follow this model.

There are currently three FTE cataloguers working on the project. The material has proved to be highly varied and often challenging. Practical experience has led to the original target of approx. 64,000 records being revised to a new target figure of approx. 32,500 records. By the end of February 2002, over 31,000 records had been created.

The areas of coverage include Africa, North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand as well as much of Asia and the Middle East. The individual countries covered range from the tiniest Pacific islands to the vast areas of British Antarctica, from Mediterranean islands such as Cyprus and Malta to countries the size of Nigeria and Canada.

Initially, different areas of the world were allocated to each partner but now each institution can also derive CURL records for areas already covered. For example, six libraries have completed work on Australia, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

Recent work includes the following:

• Oxford: the Indian subcontinent (especially India)

• Cambridge: Africa (Southern Africa and East Africa)

• Manchester: South America (individual countries)

Birmingham, Edinburgh, Imperial College and the University of London were able to create or download records for a large part of their geographically diverse holdings as a result of their participation in the project.

In summary, Mapping the World aims to target series-level cataloguing of post-1850 overseas mapping. In making the resulting MARC standard records available via CURL, other institutions can use these records as the basis for their own retrospective conversion projects.

This will be of great benefit to the academic and research community.

Project Director

Project Manager

Project Co-ordinator

Project website

http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/mapworld/index.html

Content: Gill Davenport
Last updated 3 July 2002