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BRICMICS, the umbrella group for British map librarians, curators and archivists, has had this item on its standing agenda at its twice-yearly meetings over the past few years and has tried to keep track of what is happening. When alerted (sometimes by moles), we have done what we could to keep collections open or to salvage them where this failed. Examples of the latter include the former SOAS map library and the former map collection of LCC boroughs that had been housed (and more recently neglected) at West Hill branch library in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The most significant parts of these collections have now been incorporated in the collections of the British Library. I believe that similar stories can be told in Scotland. The problem has always been the lack of notice: where there is no longer a map librarian, there is no longer someone who would think of notifying a map librarian represented on BRICMICS or the BCS. And there are always the managers who view map cabinets as unnecessary encumbrances to the re-sue of the space for fund-raising activities and who want to act 'decisively' so as to circumvent any opposition. BRICMICS can't be expected to act in cases which it isn't informed of, but it does have (collective) experience of what needs to be done, can write letters or emails on behalf of the map community to the people who count and, as I hope the above shows, can even do something in worst case scenarios. So please let me or Kimberly Kowal - or anyone else who is represented on BRICMICS - know if you hear about threatened map library closures. Peter Peter Barber MA, FSA, FRHistS Head of Cartographic and Topographic Materials Map Library British Library 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB tel.(020) 7412 7701 fax (020) 7412 7780 ________________________________ From: A forum for issues related to map & spatial data librarianship [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of A CARLUCCI Sent: 19 July 2012 12:41 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: British [map] libraries under threat Hello As the community of UK map libraries, we might also want to consider map collections which still exist but have lost their curators/librarians/etc. In my recent travels I have seen some remarkable cartographic resources which have no experienced or specialised staff taking care of them. Collections are still there, but without someone knowledgeable at the helm, what happens? At worst, this can lead to collections being "chucked out into a skip..."; at best, the resources are still lost to users and development. A topic of discussion for the upcoming Map Curators' Group in Leeds? Frankly, it would help if more of the heads of the remaining big map collections, some of which are suffering as well, showed up for the discussion. To quote Benjamin Franklin, "We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." If you don't mind me quoting a rebel.... April April Carlucci The Itinerant Map Catalog(u)er and Consulting Map Librarian ________________________________ From: Francis Herbert <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Wednesday, 18 July 2012, 14:44 Subject: FW: British libraries under threat This forwarded posting is not specifically about *map* libraries/collections' closure, or threat thereof. But a similar [carto-]graphic exercise of such in the British Isles might be a valid GIS project and illustrate where map collections have been lost (classified by amalgamation, incorporation into a larger/general library; sale/auction; dispersal; 'chucking out into a skip without telling anyone'; etc.). And a time factor indicating what advance warning - and to whom - such losses were publicized beforehand. Maybe over the last 20 years would be a start . . . -----Original Message----- From: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Angie Cope, American Geographical Society Library, UW Milwaukee Sent: 18 July 2012 14:13 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: British libraries under threat -------- Original Message -------- Subject: british libraries under threat Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:53:43 -0400 From: Catherine Hodge-Bodart <[log in to unmask]> To: Interesting map of libraries that have been forced to close, are under threat of closure, and have been saved: http://libraries.fromconcentrate.net/ ************************************************************************** Experience the British Library online at http://www.bl.uk/ The British Library’s new interactive Annual Report and Accounts 2010/11 : http://www.bl.uk/annualreport2010-11http://www.bl.uk/knowledge Help the British Library conserve the world's knowledge. 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