Subject Librarian: Rosa Orlandini
Description of Current Collection and Programmes Supported
The Map Library collection supports a broad range of undergraduate and graduate research and instructional programmes. The use of the Map Library is interdisciplinary, and the collection focuses its support towards the needs of its primary users, which are the following faculties, departments and programmes: Geography, History, Environmental Studies, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology, Education, Urban Studies, and Language Studies.
The collection includes maps, atlases, aerial photographs, slides, microfiche, CD-ROMS, as well as journals and reference materials, such as gazetteers, cartobibliographies, dictionaries and dir ectories. The collection is extensive in subject coverage. In general, the guiding principle is to provide small scale map coverage for all areas of the world and most subjects to meet the needs of students at the undergraduate and graduate level. Large scale map coverage to meet research needs is acquired for selected areas, such as, the Toronto area and Southern Ontario. Exclusions include maps that accompany government reports and official plans integral to municipal government publications. These latter materials are acquired by the Government Documents/Administrative Studies Library. Enumeration area maps for the Toronto CMA are also aquired by the Government Documents Librarian and are housed in the Government Documents/Administrative Studies Library, because these maps are heavily used with PCensus.
Related Collections at York
The Map Library collection overlaps slightly with the following collection areas: geography, earth and atmospheric sciences, environmental studies, history, and reference (Scott). Government documents is the most significant related collection. Some early Canadian maps and atlases are also located in Archives and Special Collections.
Languages
Emphasis is on English language material, although maps and atlases in other languages are collected if the desired coverage of a particular area is not available in English. Since information on cartographic material is often presented in symbolic form, language is not always an important criteria for selection.
Geographical Coverage
Maps and atlases provide coverage of the entire world, however, emphasis is placed on Canada, particularly Southern Ontario and the Toronto region. Other regional priorities are the United States, the Caribbean area, and Western Europe.
Chronological Coverage
There are no limits.
Date of Publications
Emphasis is on current publications only. Facsimile maps and atlases of early original materials may be purchased as required.
Duplication
Multiple copies are acquired for high use materials only.
Gifts
Gifts are acquired from individuals, government agencies, academic departments and faculties, and the OCUL Map Group exchange programme. Gifts are accepted if they complete or enhance geographic areas, subjects, and map series already collected. Materials that fill in time gaps, and copies of high demand items are also considered.
Relegation and Weeding
Superseded editions of United States topographic maps, and Canadian aeronautic and hydrographic charts are routinely weeded. Older editions in the book and atlas collection are periodically relegated to the general stacks or withdrawn. The pamphlets in the Travel and General Information File are also periodically withdrawn.
- Maps — In most cases, area priority is considered first in the selection of maps. The higher the geographic priority the greater the intensity of coverage. With respect to lower priority areas, the objective is to provide broad, general cartographic coverage. World-wide coverage of small scale topographic and thematic maps are collected. Both large and small scale topographic and thematic maps are purchased for priority areas. Geographic priorities for the acquisition of maps are as follows:
- Toronto
- Ontario, with emphasis on Southern Ontario
- Canada (as a whole), provinces, territories
- United States, the Caribbean area, Western Europe.
- Other areas of the world (coverage of these areas is determined by demand, availability of materials, and budget).
Wall maps are purchased only in response to specific requests and if funds permit.
Although depository arrangements are becoming less common, the Map Library has some maps which are received on deposit. Canadian depository items include the NTS (National Topographic Series), aeronautical charts, hydrographic charts, and some OBM (Ontario Basic Mapping) sheets. The United States depository includes some topographic maps.
- Aerial Photography/Remote Sensing Imagery — The Map Library purchases air photos primarily of the Toronto region. Remote sensing imagery, principally Landsat, is collected on a very selective basis.
- Atlases — National and regional atlases, as well as current world atlases are purchased. All atlases of Canada, including provincial atlases, are considered for the collection. State and city atlases are purchased selectively. Thematic atlases are collected according to geographic priorities and subject interest.
- Books — Books collected include gazetteers, place-name and geographical dictionaries, cartobibliographies, and reference works relating to cartography and the understanding and interpretation of maps and remote sensing imagery. Travel guidebooks, such as the Fodor and Michelin serials, are generally not purchased due to budget constraints.
- Booklets — Booklets are purchased if they are supplements to maps.
- Journals — Cartographic journals and those related to map librarianship are acquired.
- Slides — Slides are not purchased, but they may be produced from sheet maps or atlases on request.
- Globes — Globes are updated periodically as required.
- Microform — Large scale map series or material not available in hard copy may be collected.
- Electronic Data Files — This technology is currently under review. Some atlases on CD-ROM have been added to the collection.
- Special Files — Three special files are maintained:
- Travel and General Information File consisting of pamphlets covering all areas of the world. Most of this material is acquired through donations.
- Clippings File of small maps.
- Ports File consisting of booklets and pamphlets covering many ports of the world with emphasis on Toronto. These materials are gifts.
Resources Elsewhere in the Toronto Region
On campus, students and faculty in geography also use the Geography Department Teaching Resources Centre. Off campus, the University of Toronto Map Library is a large resource centre for maps in the Toronto region. The Metropolitan Toronto R eference Library, the Archives of Ontario, government libraries, and municipal planning departments are also useful resource centres.
Last updated 1994