Number 150, Newsletter - Association of Canadian Map Libraries

              ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN MAP LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES
BULLETIN
ASSOCIATION DES CARTOTHÈQUES ET ARCHIVES CARTOGRAPHIQUES
DU CANADA
NUMBER 150/ SPRING/SUMMER 2015
NUMÉRO 150 / PRINTEMPS/ÉTÉ/ 2015ASSOCIATION OF CANADIAN MAP LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES /
ASSOCIATION DES CARTOTHÈQUES ET ARCHIVES CARTOGRAPHIQUES DU CANADA
MEMBERSHIP in the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives is open to both individuals and institutions having an interest in maps and the aims and objectives of the Association. Membership dues are for the calendar year and are as follows:
Full (Canadian map field)... $45.00
Associate (anyone interested)... $45.00 ($35 US)
Institutional... $65.00 ($50 US)
Student... $20.00
Members receive the ACMLA Bulletin, the official journal of the Association, which is published three times a year.
Officers of the Association for 2015/2016 are:
Peuvent devenir MEMBRES de l’Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada tout individu et toute institutions qui s’intéressent aux cartes ainsi qu’aux objectifs de l’Association. La cotisation annuelle est la suivante:
Membres actifs(cartothécaires canadiens à plein temps)... 45$
Membres associés (tout les intéressées)... 45,00$
Institutions... 65,00$
Étudiant... 20,00$
Le Bulletin de l’ACACC sera envoye aux membres trois fois par annee.
Les MEMBRES DU BUREAU de l’Association pour
l’anne 2015/2016 sont:
Views expressed in the Bulletin are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Association.
The Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives gratefully acknowledges the financial support given by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Les opinions exprimées dans le Bullein sont celles des collaborateurs et ne correspondent pas nécessairement à celles de l’Association.
L’Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada remercie le Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada pour son apport financier.
1st Vice President / 1er Vice-Président
Deena Yanofsky, Liaison Librarian
Humanities & Social Sciences Library
McGill University, Montréal, Québec
vice.president1@acmla.org
Past President / Président sortant
Rosa Orlandini
Librarian and Head of Map Library
102 Scott Library
York University, Toronto, ON
rorlan@yorku.ca
Treasurer / Trésorier
Rebecca Bartlett
GIS and Digital Resources Librarian
MADGIC, Carleton University Library
Carleton University, Ottawa, ON
treasurer@acmla-acacc.ca
Secretary / Secrétaire
Marilyn Andrews
Spatial and Numeric Data Services
University of Regina Library
University of Regina, Regina, SK
secretary@acmla.org
President / Président
Siobhan Hanratty
Data/GIS Librarian
Government Documents, Data, and Maps
UNB Libraries
University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
president@acmla.org
Vice President Communications and Outreach / vice-président aux
Communications et Rayonnement
Tracy Sallaway
Data and GIS Support Specialist
Maps, Data & Government Information Centre - Data & GIS
Thomas J. Bata Library
Trent University, Peterborough, ON
tracyarmstrong@trentu.ca
Vice President Professional Development / vice-président au
Développement professionel
Jason Brodeur
Manager, Maps/Data/GIS
Mills Memorial Library
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
brodeujj@mcmaster.ca
ACMLA MAILING ADDRESS / ACACC ADRESSE D’AFFAIRES
Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives /
Association des cartothèques et archives cartographiques du Canada
PO Box 60095
University of Alberta Postal Outlet
Edmonton AB T6G 2S4
http://www.acmla.org
ACMLA Bulletin index available at http://toby.library.ubc.ca/resources/infopage.cfm?id=187Bulletin Staff / Collaborateurs
Editor:
Eva Dodsworth
Geospatial Data Services Librarian
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1
tel: (519) 888-4567 x 36931
email: edodsworth@uwaterloo.ca
New Books and Atlases Editor:
Vacant
New Maps Editor:
Cheryl Woods
Map & Data Centre
Western University
London, Ontario N6A 5C2
tel: (519) 661-3424
email: cawoods@uwo.ca
Reviews Editor:
Sarah Simpkin
GIS and Geography Librarian
University of Ottawa
309E, Bibliothèque Morisset Library
sarah.simpkin@uottawa.ca
Regional News Editor:
Tomasz Mrozewski
Data, GIS and Government Documents Librarian / Bibliothécaire pour les données, les services géospatials et les documents gouvernementaux
Bibliothèque J.N. Desmarais Library
935 Ramsey Lake Road
Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6
tmrozewski@laurentian.ca
Geospatial Data and Software
Reviews Editor:
Andrew Nicholson
GIS/Data Librarian
University of Toronto at Mississauga
3359 Mississauga Rd. North
Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6
email: anichols@utm.utoronto.ca
GIS Trends Editor:
Vacant
BULLETIN DE L’ACACC
NUMÉRO 150 PRINTEMPS/ÉTÉ 2015
ACMLA BULLETIN
NUMBER 150 SPRING/SUMMER 2015
ON THE COVER...
Chat of Hillsborough Bay, and the Harbour of Charlotte Town...George Wright, 1989
Reproduced at 69% of original size from an engraving in the Prince Edward Island
Public Archives and Records Office
ACML Facsimile Map Series No. 136 (ISBN 0827-8024
Published in 1992 by ACMLA
Table of Contents
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE - Siobhan Hanratty 2
CARTO 2015 CONFERENCE REPORT, June 16-19, 2015 3
CONFERENCE PAPERS:
Ontario’s Historical Topographic Map Digitization 19
Project - Beard, Brodeur, Janzen, Leahey, Simpkin
Prescription Conservation: A preventative and post 23
remedy for users of maps - Kyla Ubbink
ACMLA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, June 18, 2015 31
STUDENT PAPER AWARD WINNER
Capitalist Cartography: Road Mapping in Interwar 37
Canada - Jeff Allen
REVIEWS 46
Atlas of Cities - Jordan Hale
Great Maps - Andrew Nicholson
Maps and Memes: Redrawing Culture, Place, and Identity in
Indigenous Communities - Francine Berish
GEOSPATIAL DATA AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS 50
Region of Peel Open Data - Andrew Nicholson
REGIONAL NEWS - Tomasz Mrozewski 52
NEW MAPS - Cheryl Woods 54
ACMLA 2015 NEW MEMBERSHIP LIST 56ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
As the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives enters its fiftieth year our objectives
haven’t changed, but we have a new executive structure in place and some exciting prospects ahead
of us. Our goals include growing our membership as well as the mentoring program; actively
supporting professional development among our new and long-standing members; and revitalizing
and reimagining the ways we communication with each other and with those outside the Association.
Picking up on some of the dynamic conversations we had at the AGM in June, we encourage more discussion
on the ACMLA-ACACC-L mailing list about all areas of interest, ranging from Association business, such as
conference planning and the Bulletin, to ways members can participate in on-going projects such as the
Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition or the International May Year “Map of the Month.” We also
have new initiatives in store for the up-coming year and years. Our new mandate calls for regional input
to the executive, so we’ll be seeking volunteer to be regional representatives. You can also expect to see
solicitations for ideas and feedback regarding professional development and communications strategies to
help strengthen our organization.
Thank You Notes
Carto 2015
As has been said more than once, the Carto planning committees did a great job again this year. Thanks to
everyone who participated, but in particular to Sarah Simpkin (University of Ottawa) and Rebecca Bartlett
(Carleton University), who put together great proposals and implemented them with seeming unflappability.
Executive Board – Outgoing and Incoming
Courtney Lundrigan and Dan Duda are leaving the ACMLA Executive Board and I would like to take
the opportunity to thank them for years of service (years and years in Dan’s case). We have benefitted
tremendously from their participation and wish them the best in their freedom from official ACMLA duties.
Thanks to our incoming Board members as well. We welcome Jay Brodeur as the new Vice President
Professional Development, Tracy Sallaway as the new Vice President Communications & Outreach, and Marilyn
Andrews as the new Secretary. We appreciate your willingness to serve and hope you enjoy yourselves.
Thanks, as well, to those members who remain on the Executive in a returning or new capacity.
Rebecca Bartlett has served as Treasurer for the past year and will remain in this role for two more
years. Deena Yanofsky was the ACMLA Treasurer for three years before becoming our 2nd Vice
President, and is now our new Vice President/President-Elect. Making the transition from President
to Past President this year is Rosa Orlandini, who joined the Executive in 2011 as 1st Vice President
and later President (2013). I would like to say a special thank you to Rosa, who has not only been a
passionate advocate for the Association but who has acted as a mentor for me since I became 1st Vice
President. Finally, as the new President I look forward to working with Deena, Rosa, and the rest of the
Executive to strengthen our internal relationships and represent our interests outside our organization.
- Siobhan Hanratty
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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CARTO 2015
https://carto2015.library.carleton.ca/
49th Annual Conference of the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives (ACMLA)
June 16-19, 2015
Ottawa, Ontario
Discovering and using Cartographic Resources: A user-centred focus
In a constantly changing information landscape, the users we serve, and their needs, are evolving
at a rapid pace. Innovations in technologies and services have allowed us to reach more users than
ever before.
Conference organized by the University of Ottawa and Carleton University
Program Committee Members:
• Siobhan Hanratty (chair) - uOttawa
• Rebecca Bartlett - Carleton University
• Courtney Lundrigan - University of Toronto
• Joël Rivard - Carleton University
• Sherri Sunstrum - Carleton University
Local Arrangement Committee members:
• Sarah Simpkin (chair) – uOttawa
• Rebecca Bartlett - Carleton University
• Carys Carrington - Carleton University
• Siobhan Hanratty - University of New Brunswick
• Pierre Leblanc – uOttawa
• Joël Rivard - Carleton University
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
4
June 16th - June 19th, 2015
Tuesday June 16th : Pre-Conference Workshops
INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL MAPPER
Rebecca Bartlett, Carleton University
Joël Rivard, Carleton University
Summarized by Meg Miller
Global Mapper is a GIS application initially developed by USGS in the early 90s and now owned by Blue
Marble Geographics. It is currently on its 16th iteration, and has added many modules to its core program
since its inception. The software was introduced as “an affordable and easy-to-use GIS application that
provides just the right level of functionality to satisfy both experienced GIS professionals and beginner users.”
CARTO 2015 CONFERENCE REPORT
Figure 1: Global Mapper v16.2 landing screen with quick menu
Upon opening the program you are presented with the quick menu, which gives you different options
on how to go about starting your project. Adding data to your map is as simple as File> Open Data
File(s) and then selecting the files from your computer you are interested in. Global Mapper supports
250+ data formats (raster, vector, 3D, elevation and spatial databases). Two huge advantages here are
that you can add data that is in a zipped folder without unzipping, and that when you are adding DEM
data like a float or ascii file it is the same simple process, there is no need to use a toolbox to convert it
before it will be visible on the map.
Interacting with the individual layers is done through the ‘Overlay Control Centre’, it is fairly similar to
other software packages, the user just needs to make sure the layer is selected in the list, then you can
opt to view its metadata or interact with the projection, symbolization, labelling and other common
elements through the options button.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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Analysis is the other area where Global Mapper is very strong. While the dialog boxes are very busy, tasks
such as extracting contours from a grid, creating a 3D path profile, or creating a 3D view of LiDAR data is a
button or single menu click away. Part of the analysis procedure is selecting the area you want to perform
the analysis on (all of the dataset or just a small portion). Exporting data and georeferencing uses the
same sort of multi-windowed interface, allowing the user to zoom in and interact with a portion of their
dataset. Having this option integrated into the analysis dialogs greatly improved workflow efficiency.
Figure 2: Left- Accessing the analysis tools. Right- Analysis windows
Compared to how well Global Mapper handles analysis and importing and exporting data, it falls short when
using it to quickly create a final publishable product. It does the job, but it isn’t exactly pretty.
Other
• Affordable (as of June 2015 $449 USD /individual seat or contact to ask about ‘flexible licensing’)
• Offers full access to Global Mapper Academic Curriculum with license purchase
• Supports scripting and user generated add-ons
• Active user forums, and help pages
• Mac or Linux users will need to use an emulator, technical support does not cover this type of
installation
Pros and Cons
Pros:
• Cheap compared to other platforms
• More time efficient/ less complicated to perform analysis functions than in other software packages
• Intuitive importing and exporting for a wide variety of GIS formats
• Offers academic support
Cons:
• Interface can be confusing if you are used to other software packages
• Dialog boxes are busy and could be overwhelming to a novice
• Final map-layout design is not great (but is it in most GIS software?)
Conclusions
Global Mapper could be a very helpful piece of software for an institution to add to their GIS toolkit. It is low
cost, and as was said in the workshop, is an easier way to perform certain tasks that are complicated and
time consuming in other GIS packages. For a patron who does not have a GIS background, and just needs
to convert some GIS data to bring over into a software they are familiar with, like AutoCAD, having this tool
available would improve their workflow.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
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GEOCODING & ONLINE MAPPING
Rebecca Bartlett, Carleton University
Joël Rivard, Carleton University
Sarah Simpkin, uOttawa
Summarized by R. Bartlet, J. Rivard, and S. Simpkin
Delivered by Sarah Simpkin (uOttawa), Joël Rivard (Carleton), and Rebecca Bartlett (Carleton)
at CARTO 2015 on the afternoon of June 16th, this hands-on workshop/hackfest allowed
participants to collaboratively explore various geocoding and online mapping tools. Participants
worked through four scenarios and were asked to take notes on the various tools that they used.
The four scenarios were:
1. Geocode a spreadsheet with addresses using online mapping tools and create an online map.
2. Geocode postal code data using online mapping tools and create a Google Earth (KML) file.
3. Plot latitude & longitude data using open source/free tools to produce an online map.
4. Geocode an excel table with addresses using desktop mapping tools only, with a KML file as output.
Participants made notes on a Google Drive document, http://bit.ly/carto-geocoding. Notes were made
for each scenario and the following is a summary of the findings by tools and geocoding functionality.
APIs
An application program interface (API) is a set of programming instructions and standards for accessing
web-based software application or web tool. In the mapping world, users typically choose from three
different free API sources to geocode their data in large batches:
• Bing Maps - https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff701713.aspx
• MapQuest Open - http://open.mapquestapi.com/geocoding/
• Google Maps - https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/
Each has their pros and cons but none of them is guaranteed to be 100% correct. Use them at your own risk!
Also note that if you try to geocode thousands of addresses, you will probably end up with blank results
after a while because the provider will decide that you're trying to process too many addresses in a
short time. If that happens, consider breaking your data into smaller batches or looking at cost-based
geocoding services. Most APIs do have a limited number of geocoding requests per 24-hour period.
Geocoding Datasets
GeoNames.org – Download free postal code data for numerous countries. Includes only the first 3 digits of
the postal codes (Forward Sortation Area or FSAs) for Canada. Download is a CSV file that includes latitude
and longitude for each postal code.
Geocoder.ca – Free data download that includes postal code and street address data for Canada and zip code
data for the USA. Download is a CSV file that includes latitude and longitude information for each postal
code/street address.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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Esri locator files – Available from Esri data and is available to institutions with an Esri site licence ($). Allows
for the geocoding of data in ArcGIS products.
DMTI Spatial Data – Available to those that have purchased the CanMap product from DMTI Spatial ($) -
http://www.dmtispatial.com/canmap/
• Locator files: Available from DMTI CanMap Route Logistics product. Allows for the geocoding of data in
ArcGIS products.
• CanMap Postal Code Suite. Includes both point (latitude and longitude information for each postal code)
as well as polygon shapefile.
Online Mapping Tools
BatchGeo – Batchgeo.com
• Allows users to geocode up to 250 records (free version)
• Can geocode a street address or a postal code
• Save as an online map or a KML
GPS Visualizer – http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/geocoding.html
• Allows users to geocode up to 5 records for geocoding by street address. Additional records can be geocoded
with the use of an API (see API section above). No limit on geocoding postal codes
• Can geocode a street address or a postal code
• Need specific field headers - http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/tutorials/waypoints.html#summary
• Save the map as an online map or a KML
Google Fusion Tables – tables.googlelabs.com
• Can geocode addresses and FSAs
• Address information needs to be all in one field
- Upload a CSV file to Google Fusion Tables
- Change the field type to location and save
- Click on File > Geocode.
- Once the geocoding is done, open a new tab and select map. Ensure that you are mapping the data
with the proper location column
Google Sheets – https://www.google.ca/sheets/about/
• Can geocode an address.
- In Google Sheets, go to Tools > Script Editor
- Copy the contents of the script from this page - https://vilimpoc.org/blog/2013/07/11/google-spreadsheet-
geocoding-macro/ into the script editor (replace all contents)
- In the script editor, go to Publish > Test as add-on. Select the sheet in which you want to use this
script
- If done correctly, you’ll now have a ‘Macros’ tab in the Spreadsheet menu
- Highlight the location, latitude and longitude columns for all rows that you want to geocode (location
should have information entered, latitude and longitude should be empty)
- Run the Macro script - unless there are problems, the lat/long fields should propagate
Google/Open Refine - https://code.google.com/p/google-refine/
• Can geocode addresses
- Upload your CSV (with a location column) to OpenRefine
- Follow these steps: https://opensas.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/using-openrefine-to-geocode-your-
data-using-google-and-openstreetmap-api/
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
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Google My Maps - https://www.google.com/mymaps
• Plot latitude and longitude coordinates
• Can plot a maximum of 2000 points
CartoDB - https://cartodb.com/
• Plot latitude and longitude coordinates
• Works quite well and has custom styling options (ex. choropleths, heatmaps, density hexagons, etc.)
• Account needed (50mb storage limit on the free account)
Mapbox
• Plot latitude-longitude coordinates in CSV format
• Limited custom styling options
• Mapbox has a beta API to convert address text into coordinates (and vice versa) but it only will do one
geocode per request: https://www.mapbox.com/developers/api/geocoding/
MangoMap
• Plot latitude and longitude coordinates.
• Allows various labeling and styling options.
• Limited export options in the free version
Desktop Tools
ArcGIS
• Geocode street addresses and postal codes using various methods
- Locator files from Esri or DMTI - http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/desktop/latest/guide-books/
geocoding/geocoding-a-table-of-addresses-in-arcmap.htm
- ArcGIS online (using credits) - http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/desktop/latest/guide-books/
geocoding/working-with-arcgis-online-geocoding-service.htm
- Creating your own locator file based on a route file
- Create a join with pre-existing postal code data (see geocoding datasets section above)
Global Mapper
• Geocode street addresses and postal code - http://globalmapper.com/helpv11/Help_MenuBarAndToolBar.
html#find_address
• Create a join with pre-existing postal code data (see geocoding datasets section above)
QGIS
• Geocode street addresses
- Open QGIS and in the menu, click on plug-ins > Manage and Ins tall Plug-Ins.
- Make sure to check off the box next to “mmqgis”
- In the menu, click on MMQGIS > Geocode. Select either option
- Geocode csv with google / open streetmap - need an api key
- Geocode with street layer – uses a street file that was added to QGIS
- Create a join with pre-existing postal code data (see geocoding datasets section above)
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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Wednesday June 17th: Conference Presentations
KEYNOTE: USING SPATIAL DATA TO TELL IMPORTANT STORIES
David McKie
With federal, provincial and municipal governments and agencies making geographic data
increasingly available, journalists have access to a wealth of information that helps them tell stories.
These stories tell us about where and how people live, how governments spend money, and the
locations of environmental hot spots such as contaminated sites and air pollution. Unfortunately,
too few journalists know how to harness this information. Fortunately, this reality is shifting.
USING MAP LABS TO MAKE OUR COLLECTION MORE ACCESSIBLE
Monica Ferguson, Carleton University
We’ve all experienced it – you provide materials for a reference request, the client leaves and you put
everything away. Shortly after, there’s a duplicate request from someone in the same class. The penny
drops and you realize you can leave the materials “on display”. Just add a course sign & description and
you’ve got a Map Lab! These have been one our most popular tools for keeping our paper map collection
active. An easily customizable and traditional way to offer “added value” to our university community.
DON’T FADE AWAY: UTILIZING WEB MAPS TO HIGHLIGHT, REVEAL AND PROMOTE MAP
LIBRARIES COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH
Daniel Brendle-Moczuk, University of Victoria
In 2011 the U of T Mississauga Library created a block of 2-3 minute instructional videos to assist students
using GIS software, many for the first time. Today, several of these videos have had over 30,000 views, with
one video clocking in over 80,000 views!
PRESCRIPTION CONSERVATION: A PREVENTATIVE AND POST REMEDY FOR USERS OF MAPS
Kyla Ubbink
To a collection of maps, researchers and users are like getting wisdom teeth pulled - it has to happen,
but there will be suffering. Damage caused by handling, display, and scanning results in tears, lost
information, staining, and in general leaves maps in poor condition. Overuse of these artifacts renders
them in such a state that they cannot be viewed without crumbling, much less be digitized. No one wants
to deny access to their collections because the maps are ‘on sick leave’. The remedy is Conservation
Treatment, but much like choosing a course of action to cure a serious malady, there are many issues
to consider. Risks and success rates must be weighed against costs and the end use of the map.
When it comes to treatment, the only way to make the right decision, is to be armed with knowledge.
Full length paper available on page 23
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
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LOST AND FO(U)ND: MAP AND VISUAL LITERACY IN THE ARCHIVES
Rosa Orlandini, York University
Have you ever looked at a photo and wondered where it was taken? Have used an interactive map to browse
historical photos, letters, newspaper articles, or pamphlets? Have you ever thought: wouldn’t it be great if we
could do something like that at my institution? Or help instructors implement this in their courses? Online
technologies and platforms such as Google Earth, History Pin, Neatline for Omeka, make it easy to display the
geographic location of digital objects. In addition, libraries and archives with digital collection platforms such
as DSpace or Islandora can enhance their metadata by including geographic coordinates of digital objects.
But there is a catch…the challenge is determining the geographic location of a photo (or objects) and to do
it precisely and accurately. For several years, the Map and GIS Librarian at York University has partnered
with archivists at the Clara Thomas Archives and Special collections, to geo-locate several their fonds. Using
examples from the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, this presentation will challenge you to look
for critically at digital objects (such as landscape photos) and look for clues that can be used to “geolocate” the
objects. The presentation will discuss the core set of information, visual, and map literacy skills that are required
to geo-locate objects; provide suggestions on types of information sources that can be used to geo-locate
objects, and highlight the role and expertise of a Map/GIS/ information professionals in geo-location projects.
FACILITATING INTERPRETATION: THE USER’S EXPERIENCE OF LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES
CANADA’S EARLY CARTOGRAPHY COLLECTION
Sara Viinalass-Smith, Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada’s (LAC) early cartography collection dates back to the founding of the
Archives Branch of the Department of Agriculture in 1872. It is an impressive collection, today composed
of more than 60,000 maps, plans, and charts of national significance. This collection of historical
cartographic records provides a comprehensive visual context for the nation’s geographic, economic,
political, scientific, social and cultural development from early exploration to confederation. The
question is, how can users “read” these graphic and quantitative representations of Canadian history?
FROM OPEN DATA TO ONLINE EXHIBITS: MAPPING CANADA’S HISTORY WITH OMEKA
Nancy Lemay, University of Ottawa
Sarah Simpkin, University of Ottawa
This past spring, University of Ottawa librarians partnered with a uOttawa history professor and
curator from the Canadian Science and Technology Museum to explore how fourth year history students
could learn how to make use of open datasets, curate cultural collections, and geocode their artifacts.
Assignments in the course were focused on the creation of online exhibits using Omeka. This open
source content management system allows users to build complex narratives and share rich collections,
all while adhering to Dublin Core metadata standards. Catalogue records from the Museum’s collection
of geographic survey markers were ingested into Omeka as a starting point for the student exhibits.
In this presentation, we will discuss our process for extracting this information from the original
XML file, enhancing the records with geospatial information, and working with Omeka. We will also
discuss Neatline, an Omeka extension that provides support for highly interactive map-based exhibits.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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L’EXPÉDITION COPPERMINE DE JOHN FRANKLIN: DE L’AVENTURE CARTOGRAPHIQUE À
L’AVENTURE ÉDITORIALE
Joë Bouchard, Laval University
Le conférencier fait une mise en contexte du développement de la collection de sources documentaires
fondatrices en études nordiques à la Bibliothèque de l’Université Laval, dans laquelle les documents
cartographiques occupent une place de choix, et situe l’ouvrage lié à la première expédition de John
Franklin dans cet ensemble. Il relate les grands événements de l’expédition Coppermine (1819-1922)
et présente les caractéristiques physiques du livre de 1823 Narrative of A Journey to the Shores of the
Polar Sea en s’intéressant au travail de l’éditeur John Murray. Les cartes géographiques retiennent
particulièrement l’attention, non seulement pour leur contenu, mais aussi pour leur forte valeur symbolique.
L’importance de la mise en valeur de ce type de documents par les bibliothécaires est mise de l’avant.
Thursday June 18th: Conference Presentations
LEVERAGING LOCATION FOR GREATER IMPACT AND ENGAGEMENT
Paul Steeves, United Way Ottawa
United Ways around the world are evolving in response to changing demographics, increased
demand for social services and donors who want evidence of the impact of their investment.
Using spatial analysis, compelling visuals and expansive data, United Way’s can create a tangible
foundation for strategic decision making and in-turn, inform and drive collective community impact.
AERIAL ORTHO-MOSAICS AT THE CITY OF OTTAWA
Stephen Perkins, City of Ottawa
This presentation will examine the images on the City of Ottawa’s geoOttawa web site. More specifically, it
will look at how individual images are prepared for display in the geo-referenced frame. For years, the local
municipality has systematically flown and captured aerial images of the Ottawa area. Additionally, since the
1920s, aerial reconnaissance has captured the landscape from above. With these images, continuous seamless
geo-referenced images are created and displayed within GIS software and on-line. The creation of these
images seem trivial, however, there is an art and science to the preparation and presentation of these aerial
images. This will include a discussion of ortho-rectification, mosaicing, blending, seamlines and dodging.
A COLLABORATION TO REPRESENT CHILD POVERTY IN WINNIPEG
Cynthia Dietz, University of Manitoba
To enhance the capacity of the libraries to offer tutorials and workshops in multimedia object creation, the
participation of technicians, librarians and researchers across the two UM campuses and within the greater
community was solicited on a pilot project on poverty. In the first collaboration undertaken, discovery of
and access to data from the national Community Data Program, the City of Winnipeg, and uncatalogued UM
datasets was made. Poverty was selected as the pilot’s topic since UM plans to offer an interdisciplinary
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
12
program on Human Rights, and since poverty is a current and growing problem here and across
Canada. Researchers with little or no GIS experience but with a wealth of expertise on poverty joined
in the collaboration. In Winnipeg, many children 17 years and younger are living in poverty or extreme
poverty. By census tract, trends in child poverty, as indicated by LIM-AT, are presented between 2005
and 2012. The distribution, concentrations, and geographic clustering of child poverty are analyzed
for children in general, for Aboriginal children, racialized children and children of recent immigrants.
Other indicators that may co-occur with poverty are presented by neighborhood, as well. They include
social and material neighbourhood deprivation, health indicators, median shelter costs and change
over time, housing tenure by type, housing condition and suitability, patterns of residential tenure
and migrancy, percentage of lone-parent households and median highest educational attainment.
Neighborhoods where indicators are improving are discussed, as are opportunities for other neighborhoods.
KEEPING AN EYE ON OUR HISTORICAL TOPOS!: A COLLABORATIVE OCUL GEO PROJECT
Colleen Beard, Brock University
Jay Brodeur, McMaster University
Amber Leahey, Scholars Portal
Sarah Simpkin, University of Ottawa
In Ontario, the OCUL Geo Community has embarked on a project to digitize topographic maps of Ontario
located in the collections of member libraries. As part of this project these maps will be digitized,
georeferenced, described using standard metadata, and made available through online platforms such as
Scholars GeoPortal. In order to do this, the Geo Community must make decisions about the appropriate
digitization and georeferencing practices for these maps, which are modern (twentieth century), accurate,
government-produced maps. This project has facilitated discussion around accuracy needs, tool availability,
metadata, staff resources, and the trade-offs that must be made . These discussions have provided some
interesting insights and ideas about the importance of georeferencing of digitized collections, to meet both
research needs and library needs for web-based discovery systems. This discussion will provide an overview of
current practices in Ontario libraries, and suggest potential unmet needs and opportunities for collaboration.
Full length paper available on page 19
PEER REVIEW AND EVALUATION: THE FUTURE OF THE ACMLA BULLETIN
Deena Yanofsky, McGill University
Since the appearance of the first scientific journals more than 300 years ago, peer review has been a formal
part of scientific communication. Today, the peer review system results in over 1.5 million scholarly articles
published each year and is fundamental to the appropriate validation of scientific findings. Because it
indicates that research has been eva luated by an independent panel of experts in the field, peer review is
also an important consideration for membership in the scholarly community. Drawing inspiration from well-established
peer review journals in library and information sciences, I will present selected best practices
(and possible topics) for a special peer review edition of the ACMLA Bulletin, the association’s scholarly
journal, which will be published in Spring/Summer 2016 in celebration of the association’s 50th anniversary.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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STUDENT PAPER - CAPITALIST CARTOGRAPHY: ROAD MAPPING IN INTERWAR CANADA
Jeff Allen, University of Toronto
Road maps do not only show people how to get from A to B; they also include capitalist messages that
have the power to influence and persuade. This was especially true in Canada during the interwar period
(1919-1939), which was a time of soaring private automobile ownership and road construction, and
with this, an increasing use of road maps. At their surface, road maps provided motorists with useful
geographic and navigational information. At closer observation, businesses and governments used road
maps as devices to advance capitalism. They did this in three ways: they used maps to advertise products
and ventures, they incorporated information in maps to promote auto travel, and they used strategic
cartographic design to persuade travel along certain routes and to certain destinations. These practices
evolved over the interwar period and by mid-century they were ubiquitous in Canadian road mapping.
Full length paper available on page 37
TWINE: GAMING TECHNOLOGY APPLIED TO SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF GUELPH’S DATA RESOURCE CENTRE
Meg Miller, MLIS student, Western University
Teresa Lewitzky, University of Guelph
The Data Resource Centre (DRC) at the University of Guelph helps undergraduate and graduate
students, staff and faculty of all disciplines find and make use of a wide range of data. We are able to
provide our users with direct support through appointments, workshops and guest lectures but we
felt that our patrons could also benefit from independent study options. Creating engaging learning
objects has long been a part of our mandate. We needed to find some way to repurpose educational
video modules created by team members into a more current and interactive format. The solution to
our quest appeared with Twine (an open source program that allows the author to create text based
‘choose-your-own-adventure’ type modules) after a meeting on using gaming technology in education.
Once created, these modules are then exported as .html files with minimal programming knowledge
required for their development. The platform is very robust and allows for different media types (video,
PowerPoint presentations, web-maps, and images) to be embedded directly into the modules. Because
these modules are non-linear, it is possible for the user to have a more customized experience based on
their needs. We are currently implementing Twine modules into the Data Resource Centre’s service model.
DEVELOPING A HISTORICAL GIS PARTNERSHIP IN CANADA
Colleen Beard, Brock university
Larry Laliberté, University of Alberta
Scholarship using Historical Geographic Information Systems (HGIS) involves labour-intensive data
preparation before advanced spatial analysis or visualization of patterns can be achieved. However, once
these data are “made spatial”, and an infrastructure built for their on-line dissemination, they can be used
by other scholars anywhere, over and over again.
There are enormous financial and scholarly benefits to sharing historical spatial data but as yet no suitable
frameworks exist in Canada to permit or facilitate the re-use of these resources. This project aims to
consolidate efforts to build this framework, and bring efficiency and economies of scale to these endeavours.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
14
Building on the idea first presented at Carto 2013 in Edmonton, by Marcel Fortin and Byron Moldofsky from
U of Toronto, this presentation will recap noteworthy developments and outline the plans and possibilities
moving forward.
LEVERAGING SUPPORT THROUGH SPATIAL LITERACY INSTRUCTION
Francine Berish, Queen’s University
Increasing reliance on data visualization and emerging disciplines the digital humanities reflect the
growing popularity of using large datasets and geographic information systems (GIS) to demonstrate
outcomes. While it is increasingly common to see GIS used across disciplines by researchers, GIS and
geospatial data may be less known among library staff. The Scholars GeoPortal, ArcGIS Online and other
web-based mapping alternatives afford an incredible opportunity for beginner GIS users to visualize
and explore spatial data, perform simple analyses, and create maps that can be easily shared without
downloading software. While these technologies have been leveraged by students, the potential to educate
staff and improve spatial literacy is vast. “A Very Spatial Data Session” was designed for giving library
staff an introductory understanding of GIS, spatial data and to prepare staff to recognize questions as
geospatial in nature. This workshop aims to describe the level and content covered in “A Very Spatial
Data Session” as well as demonstrate the context in which staff sessions can be used to leverage support.
Friday June 19th: Conference Presentations
AN INTRODUCTION TO DATAVERSE
Larry Laliberté, University of Alberta
Dataverse is an open source web application to share, preserve, cite, explore and analyze research data. It
facilitates making data available to others, and allows researchers, data authors, publishers, data distributors,
and affiliated institutions to receive appropriate credit. The benefits of using Dataverse, include sharing
data easily with other researchers that does not involve the use of email or Dropbox, providing a simplified
approach to entering project-level metadata, minting DOIs for data files that can be used in publications,
managing multiple versions of data files, and organizing data to submit for its long term preservation.
3D PRINTING GEOSPATIAL DATA: AN INTRODUCTION
Tomasz Mrozewski, Laurentian University
This paper will investigate the application of 3D printing processes to GIS data in the context of an academic
library. As 3D printing becomes more accessible to a broad audience, it is now being used in conjunction
with GIS data by industry, academia and amateur Makers. This paper shall focus on practices emergent
in Maker discourse, much of which is easily and freely accessible online and is generally accessible to the
novice user; it shall also discuss emerging applications in academia and industry. This paper will compare
the processes of working from DEMs and from contour lines, and discuss implications of data scale for the
printed output. It shall review software and data transformation requirements, as well as printing devices.
Conscious of budgetary constraints facing libraries today, emphasis shall be given to free and/or open
software and data sources, as well as tools likely to be available to academic institutions such as Esri’s ArcGIS
software. The end goal of this paper is to develop a set of instructions or guidelines for creating print-ready
3D models from GIS data in the context of an academic library, drawing on the author’s own experiences.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
15
CONFERENCE PHOTOS
Photos courtesy of Jon Morgan
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
16
Top photo, courtesy of Stefano Biondo; centre and bottom photos courtesy of Jon Morgan
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
17
ICE BREAKER
Tuesday June 16th
Photos courtesy of Jon Morgan
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
18
BANQUET
Thursday June 18th
Signatures Restaurant at the Cordon Bleu
Photos courtesy of Jon Morgan
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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CONFERENCE PAPER
ONTARIO’S HISTORICAL TOPOGRAPHIC MAP DIGITIZATION
PROJECT
Colleen Beard, Brock University
Jay Brodeur, McMaster University
Sharon Janzen, Brock University
Amber Leahey, Scholars Portal, OCUL
Sarah Simpkin, University of Ottawa
INTRODUCTION
This conference report summarizes the Ontario
Council of University Libraries (OCUL) Geo
Community’s project to digitize early 20th century
historical topographic maps. The presentation was
made to the CARTO Conference 2015, held in June
in Ottawa, Canada.
The project, distributed across several Ontario
university libraries, will add approximately 800 maps
to our collective digital holdings, including ~615
map sheets from the 1:63,360 national topographic
map series, all of which are in the public domain,
and ~177 map sheets from the 1:25,000 national
topographic map series, representing the subset
that is currently in the public domain (a total of
approximately 621 Ontario sheets exist in this
series). Topographic maps at these scales are heavily
used by researchers interested in examining changes
over time (urban sprawl, transportation patterns,
diminishing woodlots, shoreline erosion, etc.)
Access to the older series is uneven across institutions,
but our ability to leverage the OCUL Scholars
GeoPortal platform (http://geo.scholarsportal.
info) and existing equipment at our institutions will
allow us to share our digitized and georeferenced
maps with the public at large. Funding from
OCUL ($32,000 - January 2015 to April 2017) is
allowing us to cover student staffing costs and
those associated with wear and tear on existing
equipment. This distributed project takes advantage
of online collaboration tools such as Google Sheets,
which allows us to manage a master list of the
known maps across institutions, as well as the
current status of each item. Institutions will be
able to contribute by scanning maps, adding their
holdings to the inventory, providing georeferencing
support, and creating metadata for the records.
Overall, our goal is to create and provide access
to a high quality, consistent digital collection that
preserves historical topographic information and
meets the needs of current and future users. It
is our understanding that a national strategy for
preservation of these maps is required and we hope
that this will assist with continued efforts in this area.
WORKFLOWS, SPECIFICATIONS AND
STANDARDS
The current project workflow and its associated
specifications and standards reflect efforts to
achieve the aforementioned goals in a setting
where groups from differing institutions will be
working collaboratively on various processing
steps. The project workflow (Figure 1) outlines the
processes required to develop high quality digital
products for end-users; these include steps to
digitize, describe, georeference and transform the
material, as well as those to coordinate processes
and provide quality control and assurance.
Given the distributed and collaborative nature of
this project, it is critically important that clear
standards and common processes be developed to
ensure that products are consistent and of a high
quality. As a part of this work, a thorough scanner
comparison and georeferencing investigation
was undertaken, with the aim of identifying and
characterizing sources of variation and errors,
and subsequently develop standards, workflows
and QA procedures to mitigate such issues.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
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In the scanner comparison test, five institutions
provided a digitized version of the same map sheet
(identical sheet number and year of publication;
different physical copy) for observation. The
submitted images were digitized using a variety
of sheet-fed and overhead photography scanners,
collected at resolutions varying between 300 and
600 points per inch (ppi). Results of the comparison
(https://goo.gl/f7R1zu) revealed substantial colour
variation between the scanned images, which
were attributed to one or a combination of the
following influences: a) variation in the condition
of the maps; b) inherent differences in the methods’
colour output; and, c) post-scan filters that were
applied by the scanning software. Additionally,
considerable differences in image clarity at high
zoom were apparent (https://goo.gl/laOhWF),
which reflected the varying scanning resolution.
In order to minimize the sources of variation in scanned
images, a number of recommendations were developed:
• Good quality paper maps should be selected for
digitization, wherever possible;
• Colour calibration and QA procedures will be
standardized, using a common calibration target
and well-defined processes;
• Maps will be digitized at 600 ppi resolution, with
24-bit colour depth;
The purpose of the georeferencing tests was to
establish appropriate input requirements for
georeferencing by balancing the need for accuracy
with the associated time commitments and staff
resources at the libraries. In this exploration, the
number of ground control points (GCPs) and the
transformation model type (1st, 2nd, 3rd order
polynomial) were varied to understand their effect
on accuracy for a number of georeferenced maps.
Results showed that a second order polynomial
provided considerable benefits over a first-order
model, and that generally, 8 to 12 GCPs were required
to maximize accuracy (https://goo.gl/Fta7ly). When
Figure 1. The Project Workflow
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
21
time requirements were considered, results showed
that this approach would require approximately
15 minutes of work per sheet (https://goo.
gl/192ZA2) -- an acceptable commitment given
the resources that are available to the project.
Moving forward, it is envisioned that collaborators at
different institutions will participate by downloading
the high quality digitized maps from servers
at Scholars GeoPortal, and then building and
uploading the GCP file for each image. This approach
minimizes data transfer requirements, and allows for
transformations to be carried out (and re-applied, if
necessary) at a single location using a “batch” process.
METADATA CONSIDERATIONS
As we embark on this project to digitize historical
topographic paper maps held in our collections, we
are providing standard metadata to describe and
preserve the inherent descriptive and historical
information about the paper maps, as well as
describe the processes and steps taken to transform
and digitize these resources for use in GIS. Describing
the data so that users have a greater sense of the
provenance, that is - where these data come from
and how they were created, is important for our
libraries. Additionally, we are especially interested in
improving access to these data online, and the creation
of standards-based granular metadata enables that.
Today, the most common standard for the description
of geospatial data is the ISO - 19115 standard
for geographic information. It is heavily used
by government and data producers in Canada
and internationally, with the Government of
Canada formally adopting the standard in 2012.
The OCUL Scholars GeoPortal is a project that aims
to bring together all digital data holdings into a
shared portal. A shared metadata repository and
metadata editor enables the description of data
for the collection, using the ISO - 19115 North
American Profile (NAP) metadata standard. Today,
this NAP editor and metadata repository host over
2000 metadata records consisting of over 1000
shared metadata records, and over 1000 metadata
records from the University of Toronto’s local Map
and Data Library (MDL) collections. To facilitate
the integration of metadata in various formats from
data producers and other collections over time, the
use of metadata crosswalks including FGDC to ISO
19115, and a local crosswalk, have been developed.
Currently, the digitization project members are
collecting metadata in a shared google spreadsheet
and these data will be the basis for a metadata
migration project. We will be developing the
metadata crosswalk and determining best practises
for the description of these data throughout the
project lifecycle, utilizing current infrastructure
and practises that have been established by the
community to date. With the creation of rich,
descriptive, and granular metadata we will hopefully
improve access to these valuable library resources.
ACCESS (…and then they were seamless – in quest
of perfecting discovery!)
Although various tools are being explored
for the project, we presented the options for
georeferencing and image analysis using ArcMap.
Setting the ArcMap workspace for georeferencing
was presented as being an important first step
to any georeferencing project. This includes
setting the datum and coordinate system to
reflect the original map; selection of an accurate
control; using a high quality 600 ppi raster
image; and utilizing the Image Viewer to view
raster and control layers in separate windows.
The ideal number of control points required to
georeference the historical topographic maps is
dependent on the transformation that is desired.
Concepts about residual error and how these
relate to the different transformation types were
discussed. It was suggested that at least the four
known coordinates at the map corners be used.
Although the spline transformation requiring
10 control points seems to be a slightly better
fit to the Earth’s surface, it is difficult to justify
the added effort for overall modest difference.
The rectification specifications for creating a
GeoTiff were also outlined. ArcMap provides several
options for adjusting or enhancing the image
quality. Achieving the best results concurred with
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
22
georeferencing test findings (see Standards), by
applying: the cubic convolution resample type, which
sharpens the image; jpg compression at 100, which
reduces the image file size up to ¼ of the original but
at the expense of some quality. It is recommended
that reducing the file size for downloading purposes
is best achieved using the resampling tool offered
in the suite of ArcMap tools. As well, applying
enhancements to image quality can also be achieved
using the Image Analysis options within ArcMap.
Creating an image display of georeferenced maps
is one of the ultimate objectives in any digitization
project with serial parts. The criteria to be
considered in such a display is a platform; seamless
display; but providing the map in its entirety (i.e.
including the map collar); providing map overlay
with transparency option; and image download.
Two website examples were discussed that display
the U.S. topo series with varying options. The USGS
Historical Topographic Map Explorer (http://
historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs) designed by Esri
provides a seamless map overlay with transparency.
However, image download (with collar) is offered as
geopdf only – not ideal for reuse in a GIS platform.
Whereas the USGS TopoView (http://ngmdb.usgs.
gov/maps/TopoView/viewer) offers multiple file
formats for download (jpeg, kmz, geopdf, geotiff) and
enhanced search options, but no seamless map display.
A portal using a combination of both these sites is ideal.
Brock has experimented with image display options
using ArcMap, achieving some success. Georeferenced
topographic maps are stored in a mosaic dataset - a
data model within the geodatabase used to manage
a collection of raster images. In brief, the steps
to creating a seamless display in ArcMap involve
creating footprints – a manual method for virtually
cropping the map to its neatline. This method
preserves the map in its entirety (with collar) but
displays only the content defined by the footprint. The
new map document, which appears seamless, can be
shared in ArcGIS Online (AGOL) as an image service
– a publishing process that takes place within the
desktop platform. Although this process consumes
Esri organizational credits for caching and storage,
the cost is minimal. Global sharing and convenient
access via ArcMap desktop are key advantages of
AGOL (Brock has used this procedure for many
of its digitized map and air photo collections).
Brock has also added seamless displays to its
local data listing, including a download option for
individual geotiff map images (http://www.brocku.
ca/maplibrary/digital/Niagara-NTS-63k.php).
CONCLUSION
The research and standards presented here highlight
the ongoing considerations of OCUL libraries
in undertaking a large map digitization project.
Get in touch!
Sarah Simpkin (sarah.simpkin@uottawa.ca), Jay
Brodeur (brodeujj@mcmaster.ca), Amber Leahey
(amber.leahey@utoronto.ca), Colleen Beard
(cbeard@brocku.ca), Sharon Janzen (sjanzen@
brocku.ca)
Special thanks to the OCUL Geo Community
especially Cheryl Woods and Eva Dodsworth, who
are actively involved in this project, as well as
McMaster University summer students Victoria
Balkwill Tweedie and Katie Maloney for their hard
work and assistance.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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CONFERENCE PAPER
PRESCRIPTION CONSERVATION: A PREVENTATIVE AND POST
REMEDY FOR USERS OF MAPS
Kyla Ubbink
Ubbink Book and Paper Conservation
Clients, researchers, students, and in general the
people who use map collections are the driving force
for the existence of such collections; and yet, are also
the destructive force that renders maps unusable.
These users listen to advice about wearing gloves,
using weights to hold maps open, being cautious not
to tear or soil the artifacts; but before long there is
a coffee cup holding down a corner of a 150year old
map, an open pen sprawled across the surface, non-gloved-
donut holding hands leaning on the legend,
and a big watch about to catch an edge causing
a ripping sound that runs chills down the spine.
After time, the benign user instils the same sense
of dread as epidemic bird flu or West-Nile virus.
The more maps are handled the worse they become.
Creases and abrasions develop into tears, and the
tears propagate becoming losses. Dirt and debris
accumulates, stains are inadvertently added and
before long these products of deterioration are
eating away at the paper fibres and rendering the
information illegible.
At some point the poor state of the most heavily
used portions of the collection becomes unavoidably
noticeable. Users, although they originally caused
the damage, are now afraid of handling the maps
at all, find it too difficult to work with them, and
ultimately seek out other sources. The dedicated
professional archivist or librarian takes out their first
aid kit, and administers, as best as possible, repair
tapes and glues to ease the suffering of the maps.
These tactics can provide short-term relief, but are
literally a band-aid solution to an injury much more
serious then a boo-boo and if applied improperly
can lead to staining, stress and additional tears.
The other remedy a good collections care-taker
administers is to digitize the collection. Certainly
this solves many problems, and eliminates the need
for users to handle the maps at all. However, the
act of digitizing maps requires that the maps are
in at least a useable condition, which means not
crumbling, cracking, or disintegrating. Whether
the maps will be put through the rigors of a
roll-scanner or sucked onto a wall to have their
picture taken for digitization, they are going to be
exposed to the pathogens of excess use and will
suffer greatly if they are not stable to begin with.
Conservation treatment offers the most effective
remedies to the plagues unleashed by users
and can also be applied to prepare maps for
digitization. Like physicians, conservators are
prone to using all sorts of technical sounding
language like chemical stabilization, de-acidification,
and casting. Sometimes what a
conservator thinks is very obvious and illustrative
language is not so descriptive regarding the
actual treatment a map will undergo (Figure 1).
The best prescription to remedy the brittleness,
yellowing, and deterioration due to ingrained
dirt and exposure to atmospheric pollutants; as
well as, inherent pollutants introduced during
manufacturing, is washing. Submersing the maps
in repeated baths of water with the addition of
a mild anionic detergent and calcium carbonate
or calcium hydroxide removes ingrained dirt and
neutralizes acidic pollutants. During this process
the damaged cellulose molecules of the paper will
reconnect with itself effectively healing the damage
returning suppleness. Removing the dirt renders
a brighter and whiter paper with higher contrast
and definition which results in better digital copies.
Worse than pollutants introduced through the
atmosphere and handling, old forms of repair tapes
contain products that eat away at the paper fibres.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
24
Figure 1 – Before and After Treatment of a Map
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
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Although these ‘band-aids’ have kept all of the
pieces of the map together and saved them from
suffering massive loss, they need to be remove as
soon as possible. This part of treatment happens
before the bathing, unless fortune smiles and the
tape happens to be water soluble and will float off
during the wet treatment. Testing and experience
guides a conservator on how to approach any type
of tape removal. The type of plastic, adhesive and it’s
state of deterioration will determine whether it will
be removed through mechanical process like peeling
and scraping, if it can be heated to soften the adhesive,
or if chemicals, including acetone and Heptane will be
applied. It is important to remove deteriorating tape
before it crosslinks with the paper and can no longer
be removed leaving dark amber coloured staining
Figure 2 – Removal of Plastic Tape with Heptane
and eventually eating through the paper (Figure 2).
Conservation uses two methods to repair tears which
will not cause future damage. Tears can be repaired
‘locally’ by adhering a strip of Japanese paper to
the verso of the map with wheat starch paste. The
repair strip of paper acts like tape to hold the two
sides together, but the wheat starch paste adhesive
will not discolour or eat at the map and the Japanese
paper moves with the map. When faced with multiple
tears in one map the most effective method of repair
is to back or line the entire map with cotton cloth,
canvas, or paper, also adhered with wheat starch
paste. Lining is not a new concept; most maps were
originally line with cotton or linen cloth to provide
extra strength and durability.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
26
Lining occurs while the map is still wet from bathing. If the map was originally lined with a cloth backing that
is now torn through, the original backing and the adhesives are removed. The wet map is supported on plastic
while all of the tears are aligned, then the map is ‘locked’ in place by a non-adhere facing of polyester release
material. The map is placed face down, wheat starch paste is applied to the verso, the lining material is laid over
the map and then smoothed with sponges followed by rolling with a brayer. Maps are dried by pressing between
blotting paper or on stretchers like those used for canvas paintings or blank Japanese Byobu screens (Figure 3).
Figure 3 – Steps to Lining a Map with Linen
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
27
When caring for have a very large collection on a
limited budget, it may not be feasible to give every
map this kind of full stabilization treatment. Minimal
treatment can be the compromise that makes the
collection stable enough to be handled and digitized,
while still accommodating the resources available.
Minimal treatment is exactly as it sounds, doing
the absolute least possible to just repair tears
locally so that the map can be handled without
losing information. This level of treatment does
not stabilize or preserve a map. It does not remove
dirt or products of deterioration, the map does
not come out brighter with higher definition, and
it is not rendered supple or made easy to handle.
There are times when all a map requires is a few
tear repairs and maybe securing lifting paper to its
cloth backing, and then there are times when the
solution is to find a happy medium between minimal
treatment and stabilization such as surface cleaning,
removing tape, repairing tears, humidification
and flattening, but not washing or re-backing.
The opposite of minimal treatment is restoration
treatment. Restoration focuses on long term
preservation and stabilization, as well as, the
aesthetic qualities of the map. Restoration will
always begin with the stabilization processes of
cleaning, washing, removing tape and repairing
tears; then takes the next steps to remedy stains,
in-fill losses, recreate lost media and return colour.
The success rate of stain reduction and removal is
usually somewhere between 60% and 99%; meaning
that stains and discolourations can be improved
upon, but never 100% completely removed. There
will always be some slight hint or shadow of the
stain left. A conservator will provide some idea
as to what extent a stain can be reversed based
on what caused the stain or discolouration, spot
testing and experience. Oft times the washing
process will satisfactorily reduce stains and
discolouration, but variety of bleaches are also
employed to remove foxing spots, mould stains,
tidemarks caused by flooding and spilt liquids,
light damage, and yellowing caused by acidic
framing and housing materials. The newer the stain,
easier and more effectively removed (Figure 4).
Figure 4 – Before and
After Full Restoration
Treatment
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
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Lost paper and material can be in-filled with paper,
carefully chosen to match the weight, texture, and
colour of the map. In-fills are dyed with watercolour
paint to obtain as close a colour as possible.
Watercolour paints are used to recreate any lost
highlighting or original colouring that has faded or
worn away on a map. Actually recreating lost text is
a subject to be deeply considered. No matter how
carefully done, it is never going to match the original
exactly. Rejoining lines, and touching up small areas
of the title and larger text can be done without it
becoming distracting, however, no one is ever going to
match the finest of the engraving printing techniques,
even using the smallest tipped pen and greatest care.
Choosing what to do when is probably the hardest
task of all. A conservator can provide guidance,
indicating what is necessary and what can wait,
what success rates of treatment will be like and
what precautions should be taken post treatment.
The decision is ultimately that of the caretaker.
The choices made will affect the longevity of the
map collections, determining whether or not
they will be accessible to users and if they can be
successfully digitized. Discussions with conservators
are of the utmost importance. Conservators
need to know how the maps will be used, if it
is for research, long term preservation, exhibit,
or digitization, so that together, an appropriate
course of action can be taken to meet the needs of
the collection, it’s users, and fits within a budget.
That leads to another challenge, finding a conservator.
The Canadian Association for Professional
Conservators offers the only accreditation process
in Canada, but it is not mandatory and anyone can call
themselves a conservator. The CAPC does provide a
directory of its members, and one can be comforted
by the fact that those listed have undergone a peer
review process meeting a standard of technical
abilities and practice within the code of ethics. Asking
colleagues and using online searches are also avenues
to take when seeking out a conservator. Bid
processes are the best way to compare prices, and
can also be used to compare the other qualities
of a conservator. Setting up a point system
based on experience, continued professional
development, membership in professional
organizations, references, and proposed
treatments, as well as pricing, is an excellent way
to ensure the best value for the money invested.
Users of maps will always cause anxiety for
caretakers and put the condition of a collection
in jeopardy. No matter how many preventative
measures are in place, handling maps results in
damage and renders them in a less than “healthy”
state. Even the noble act of digitization to prevent
excessive use and increase accessibility is going
to cause damage. The only remedy is to apply
conservation treatment. Stabilization treatment
repairs damage and provides long term protection,
restoration returns maps to a newer state, and
minimal treatment is short term relief preventing
the current tears and cracks from getting worse.
Choose a conservator wisely, and rest at ease,
knowing that although users will be a plague
upon the collection, there is a cure at hand.
Accredited with the Canadian Association for
Professional Conservators, Kyla Ubbink specializes in
the treatment of books and paper artefacts and the
preservation of archival collections. With a diploma
in Museum Studies in 2000, Mrs. Ubbink began her
career in the field of paper and archival conservation
fulfilling contracts in the Library and Archives Canada’s
Conservation Laboratories. In 2005, Mrs. Ubbink
established her own business, Ubbink Book & Paper
Conservation, providing professional conservation,
restoration and preservation consultation services
to institutions, galleries, antiquities dealers,
collectors, researchers and genealogists. Mrs.
Ubbink is also a part time professor of cultural
preservation for Algonquin College’s Archives and
Records Management Program, has publications in
professional periodicals, and provides workshops
and lectures for community groups and heritage
professionals. Visit www.bookandpaperconservation.
com for more information on Mrs. Ubbink
and Ubbink Book and Paper Conservation.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
29
ACMLA Awards
The ACMLA Executive was honoured to recognize two individuals and one entity for their outstanding
contributions to the Association of Canadian Map Library and Archives. Winners were announced and
recognized during the Carto 2015 Banquet.
Certificate of Appreciation
The Atlas of Canada, Royal Canadian Geographical Society
Certificate of Appreciation was awarded to the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for its Atlas
of Canada (2014) published by Harper Collins.
The Certificate of Appreciation is awarded to a corporate entity (or individual) responsible for
the generation or production of traditional or digital map and spatial products and specifically,
for leadership and exemplary conduct in reducing barriers to those products; for excellence
in the production of such products, or for innovation in documentation, metadata, user guides
and other means of making those products better and more easily used. Nominations may be
made by any ACMLA member in good standing, or by the ACMLA Awards Committee, and should
be accompanied by a brief explanation of the nomination, signed by two ACMLA members.
I would like to nominate the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for this certificate. The Atlas of
Canada, published in 2014, by HarperCollins in conjunction with The Royal Canadian Geographical
Society is the first atlas published in many years that highlights Canada to such an extent. As per
the description on the Canadian Geographic website, the atlas includes: 45 pages of fully up-to-date
reference maps; 20 pages of historical maps; 56 pages of thematic mapping and graphics; over
275 photos and 15 digitally enhanced satellite images and 156 pages of commentary, maps and
photographs on each province and territory. The table of contents is extensive and covers: history,
physical geography, natural environment, climate, population, resources, economy, provinces and
territories, reference maps and a commentary by Derek Hayes about Canada’s future. The index to
the reference maps, at the end of the atlas is very inclusive. The inside of the front and back covers
feature basic information about each province and territory and portray keys to map pages within the
atlas. In addition to this high quality atlas, the Society has been producing comprehensive regional
and thematic maps of Canada for decades. Cartographic collections across the country hold these
maps and provide access to them to a wide variety of users for their research. The Society also offers
support through educational programs and grants to advance geographic education. Their digital
presence with the Canadian Atlas Online is another innovative resource tool for all ages. Members
of the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives wish to acknowledge the cartographic
production excellence of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society with this certificate and encourage
them to continue to map Canada’s landscape.
Cheryl Woods, Western University
Jennifer Marvin, University of Guelph
	
Teresa Lewitzky, University of Guelph
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
30
Cathy Moulder Paper Award
The Cathy Moulder Paper Award is awarded to an individual who has researched, written and
published a paper of significant value in the ACMLA Bulletin. The paper is considered for its solid
contribution to map librarianship, curatorship or archiveship
Award Recipient : Barbara Znamirowski
Article Title : A New View from Space: Making TERRASAR-X Data Accessible to the Canadian Research
Community
ACMLA Bulletin Number: 148, Fall 2014
ACMLA Student Paper Award
The Student Paper Award is awarded to a student from Canada or studying in Canada
currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution (college or university) who has written an
original paper related to the interests of the ACMLA. Primary consideration for the award is
given to the essay’s originality and its contribution to new knowledge and inight in GIS or
cartography. Other considerations include the author’s demonstration of the relevance of the
subject, the quality of the presentation and documentation, and the literary merits of the essay.
Award Recipient : Jeff Allen, University of Toronto
Student Paper Title : Capitalist Cartography: Road Mapping in Interwar Canada
Jeff’s winning paper is printed on page 37
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
31
Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives /
Association des Cartothèques et Archives Cartographiques du Canada
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
In Ottawa, ON
Morisset Hall, Room 218, 65 University Private
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Present:
R. Bartlett (Carleton); C. Beard (Brock); F. Berish (Queens); S. Biondo (Laval); d. Brendle-Moczuk (Victoria);
J. Brodeur (McMaster); C. Dietz (Manitoba); D. Duda (Memorial); A. Guindon (Concordia); S. Hanratty
(UNB); D. Jakubek (Ryerson); D. Jones (Alberta); L. Laliberte (Alberta); A. Leahey (Scholar’s Portal);
P. LeBlanc (Ottawa); T. Lewitzky (Guelph); M. Miller (Western); L. Mitchell (Lakehead); T. Mrozewski
(Laurentian); R. Orlandini (York); V. Pow (Alberta); S. Quin (Guelph); J. Rivard (Carleton); K. Schultz (British
Columbia); S. Simpkin (Ottawa); S. Sunstrum (Carleton); D. Yanofsky (McGill); B. Znamirowski (Trent)
1.0 Establishment of Quorum; Call to Order
Quorum was established. The meeting was called to order at 12:25 p.m.
2.0 Opening Remarks from the President ACMLA-ACACC
R. Orlandini went through the agenda and then introduced the current executive: S. Hanratty (1st VP), D.
Yanofsky (2nd VP), R. Bartlett (Treasurer); and D Duda (Past President). C. Lundrigan (Secretary) could
not be here this year so D. Duda will be taking the minutes for the AGM.
3.0 Approval of Agenda
The agenda was accepted as is.
4.0 Approval of Minutes from the Annual General Meeting of 2014
D. Jones moved to accept the minutes as is – seconded by S. Sunstrum. Passed.
5.0 Business Arising From the Annual General Meeting of 2014
National Topographic Map Inventory
S. Hanratty reminded attendees that at last year’s AGM the concept of a member-driven task force
dealing with the national topographic map inventory was discussed. Such a task force was not organised
as a result of the conversation; however, it remains an option for those interested in pursuing it.
Future Conferences
S. Hanratty then discussed future conferences and the challenge of getting a commitment to host the
event. S. Biondo asked why a commitment one to two years in advance cannot be obtained to make
it a bit easier for the local arrangements people to plan. S. Hanratty replied that there are a number
of reasons including that it is often difficult for members to get a commitment from their University
Librarian to support an event more than one year away. R. Orlandini added that for some years it was
easier to get a longer term commitment but now some regions have fewer members in the organization.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
32
S. Hanratty suggested that we might want to consider changing the general model of hosting. She
proposed that perhaps instead of trying to alternate among the regions evenly we might need to host the
conference in Ontario and Québec more frequently than in the past. V. Pow felt that it would not matter if
the conference was held more often in Central Canada since the majority of the membership was from that
region. D. Jones added that the site was more important than the region – we need a place to host the event.
S. Biondo asked if we might consider meeting with other groups every five years and outside of
Canada. D. Yanofsky responded that this was a good idea and it should be looked into it further.
D. Duda let the membership know that the Society for the History of Discovery is interested in
coming to Canada and might be interested in meeting with us. He also mentioned how budgets are
becoming a major issue again and University Librarians cringe at being ask to host such events.
C. Dietz suggests that a brain storming session take place to discuss all of these interesting suggestions.
S. Hanratty agreed that this was a good idea but we could also better utilize our LISTSERV list with this
discussion and encouraged the members to do so.
6.0 President’s Report
The full report is on the ACMLA-ACACC website.
R.Orlandini reported that this has been a transitional year for the executive and organization with the
new by-laws and regulations being in place. The framework for our future is now set. The new executive
will be presented to the membership later in the meeting. Members will notice that some committees will
disappear and more task forces will be struck to look into future challenges and issues for the organization.
GeoAlliance Canada
R. Orlandini reported that D. Yanofsky has been an active member on the Steering Committee of the Canadian
Geomatics Community Round Table. R. Orlandini and D. Yanofsky attended the Ottawa workshop that formed
GeoAlliance Canada. We are still waiting for more information before we commit to be a full member of the Alliance.
When this information is gathered it will be shared with the membership to see if we want to join the organization.
Activities
The terms of reference are being revised for the mentoring program.
Since the Historic Maps program is winding down, R. Orlandini asked members that if they have extra copies
of any of the ACMLA-ACACC map series to please send her two copies so that we can ensure our own archival
copies. She also stressed not to break up any of the portfolio collections of this series – just send her extra
copies of the “one-offs” to her.
Thank You’s
R. Orlandini thanked C. Lundrigan for all of her work with the by-laws and terms of reference over the last
couple of years. Her efforts, along with those of L. Trimble, helped make our transition be smooth for all of us.
She then thanked D. Duda for his years of service on the executive since he is stepping down after this AGM.
7.0 First Vice President’s Report
The full report is on the ACMLA-ACACC website.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
33
S. Hanratty thanked the Local Arrangements and Program committees for their work on the Ottawa
conference. The members of the two planning committees were Sarah Simpkin, Rebecca Bartlett, Francine
Berish, Carys Carrington, Pierre LeBlanc, Joël Rivard, Courtney Lundrigan, Sherri Sunstrum, and herself.
Membership (full report on website)
As of December 2014 we have 206 members with 96 of those being Institutional or Exchange. A more active
recruitment of new members will be an on-going agenda item of the new executive.
Bibliographic and Cataloguing Committee
This committee is currently dormant.
Copyright Committee
This committee is dormant but a copyright task force was established this past year and the members will
report to the membership about best practices and step-by-step guides in the near future.
Awards (full report on website)
Jeff Allen from the University of Toronto received the Student Paper Award for his paper entitled “Capitalist
Cartography: Road Mapping in Interwar Canada.”
The Cathy Moulder Paper Award went to Barbara Znamirowski from Trent for her paper “A New View from
Space: Making Terrasar-X Data Accessible to the Canadian Research Community.”
Certificate of Appreciation was given to the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for its Atlas of Canada
(2014) published by Harper Collins.
Mentoring
There was one pairing this last year. Colleen Beard and R. Orlandini collaborated last year in an effort to
generate some ideas for program renewal. C. Beard has agreed to continue on heading this program.
8.0 Second Vice President’s Report
The full report is on the ACMLA-ACACC website.
Publications
D. Yanofsky thanked Eva Dodsworth for her role as editor of The Bulletin. She also thanked Larry Laliberté
as the Publication’s Officer. L. Laliberté reported that two items were sold this year.
Web
D. Yanofsky thanked S. Hanratty, Jacqueline Kreller-Vanderkooy, and Wenonah Fraser van Heyst for their
work with our website. There may be changes in the future for the site as the new Vice President for
Communications and Outreach may have new ideas for the site.
Historic Maps
To add to R. Orlandini’s report about archiving two copies of each map in the collection, the Bird’s
Eye Views have been united once again from the University of Alberta and McMaster University.
Their current home is Memorial University where D. Duda hopes to sell the remaining inventory.
General
More discussion about The Bulletin will be dealt with during D. Yanofsky’s presentation about the future of
The Bulletin later in the conference.
A $250 honorarium was given to the web master and $1,500 in honoraria were given to editor of The Bulletin
- $500/issue with three issues being published for the year.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
34
9.0 Treasurer’s Report
The full report is on the ACMLA-ACACC website.
Three documents were handed out to the membership: 1) ACMLA Financial Report – January 01, 2014 to
December 31, 2014; 2) ACMLA Financial Report – January 01, 2015 to May 31, 2015; 3) ACMLA Budget 2015.
The transition to a new Treasurer this past year went smoothly. The organization has switched from the
Royal Bank to the Scotia Bank as of October 2014. The difficulties with Pay Pal and personal names was
fixed in May 2015.
ACMLA Financial Report January 01, 2014 to December 31, 2014
Last year’s AGM was a money maker – approximately $1,500. Our membership income was approximately $8,500.
Income from map sales was approximately $3,700 which was mainly from one large sale to World of Maps
in Ottawa.
The GIC is shown as an income and expense because we had to pay $3,000 to cover our VISA use, but this
is also an investment as well.
Some of the AGM expenses from the 2013 conference was covered with the 2014 budget.
The legal and translation fees were significant for the year as this was when the work was done with the
by-laws, procedures and terms of reference.
ACMLA Financial Report – January 01, 2015 to May 31, 2015.
The main line for this report is the AGM and we won’t know the final numbers until after the conference.
Budget 2015
It looks like the conference this year will break even – a gain/loss of $200?
Membership numbers seem to be on par with past years.
Legal and translation fees should be less than budgeted.
Discussion – 2015 Budget
A. Leahey asked if our organization ever financially helped other organizations, e.g. donate money for other
conferences or organizations.
The GeoAlliance is one possibility. D. Duda mentioned that in the past we have been asked to be a sponsor
at other events.
R. Orlandini then asked A. Leahey if she was wondering if we’d be willing to commit to something this
AGM? A. Leahey replied that she recognizes that we’re running a deficit budget but was thinking about
being a sponsor at IASSIST? D. Yanofsky thought that helping members go to regional conferences to
represent ACMLA-ACACC might be one way of participating with other professional organizations.
Motion to approve the 2015 Budget – moved by S. Hanratty and seconded by S. Simpkin – passed.
10. Past President’s Report
The full report is on the ACMLA-ACACC website.
D. Duda reported that the executive had set aside $5,000 to assist members to attend the AGM and conference.
Seven members applied for assistance and all received full funding.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
35
D. Duda then reported on the Nominations Committee and its work in getting a slate of executive members
for the coming year. He thanks Virginia Pow and David Jones from the University of Alberta for their work in
this committee. 24 members plus the current executive were contacted to see if they would be interested in
running for any of the executive positions. With the new structure of the organization, there are two new vice
president offices – Vice President Professional Development and Vice President Communications and Outreach.
After the initial contacts made with members, two agreed to vie for the President’s portfolio, no one put their name
forward for Vice President/President Elect, one agreed to stand for Vice President Professional Development,
one agreed to stand for Vice President Communications and Outreach, one agreed to stand for Secretary and
one agreed to stand for Treasurer. After this slate was announced to the membership via the list-serv, one of
the people running for President announced they would step down from the competition for President and put
their name forward for Vice President/President Elect. This amendment was announced to the membership
via the list-serv and a full slate has been achieved. The new executive will be announced later in the meeting.
11. New Business
R. Orlandini announced that there was nothing new from the executive and asked the membership if there was
anything they wanted to discuss. Future conferences and financial aid to other organizations were brought up.
F Berish asked if there have been discussions of a “profit model” for the organization.
R. Bartlett replied that yes, it has been discussed and now with map sales no longer bringing income to the
organization, where do we get income? The only two alternatives now are membership and the conference.
Do we look at increasing membership fees? Do we charge more for the conference?
D. Yanofsky pointed out that it has been a long time since membership fees were increased.
B. Znamirowski asked about the possibility of a SSHRC grant again with the transition to the new by-laws
being complete. D. Yanofsky replied that with SSHRC changing their model for organizations getting
funding, we have to work on selling ourselves in ways to fit different models. R. Orlandini added that other
organizations are going through similar challenges. D. Duda reported about a project at Memorial University
where SSHRC granted funds for a project and if ACMLA-ACACC could somehow market that angle, it might
make it easier to get SSHRC funding.
D. Jones asked about the idea of becoming a charitable organization and accept donations.
S. Hanratty replied that there are pros and cons to that idea. There seems to be more cons. Then she asked
a number of other questions to consider:
- Do we raise fees – both membership and conference?
- Do we go to a digital only bulletin? If so, do we then offer a print-on-demand to those who want a print copy?
- Do we have the conference every two years? There was concern this year that this would be one of the
lowest attended conferences to date. It has not turned out that way, but it was a concern.
We need to keep this discussion going with the membership.
C. Dietz explained how the Manitoba GIS Users Group worked with high schools in the province and mentored
people in the region. How can ACMLA-ACACC possibly get involved with similar programs and possibly get
fees for this work?
V. Pow mentioned that it is important to have this discussion now versus waiting until our budget is low. R.
Bartlett agree and reminded the membership that this is the second deficit budget i n a row.
A. Leahey mentioned sponsorships.
S. Hanratty reminded the membership of the challenge to keep expenses low and reasonable for the
conference but do we raise the fees in future years?
S. Biondo asked about selling advertisement in The Bulletin – the membership thought that was a good idea.
C. Beard added that it has been done in the past.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
36
D. Jones suggested inserts in The Bulletin.
C. Beard supported the idea of increased fees for membership and the conference. She also suggested a
membership drive to increase membership numbers. She liked the idea of working at getting sponsors.
D. Jones brought up the point that meeting with other organizations means greater numbers at the conference
and this helps keep the fees lower. As for recruitment we could attract a larger audience by getting involved
with more groups and seeking out programs in community and technical colleges that have similar interests.
S. Hanratty replied that conference sharing is a positive experience but we also need members to attend.
C. Beard supported the idea of joint conferences because it meant more people and better chances of getting
sponsors.
R. Bartlett reminded everyone that the University of Ottawa and Carleton libraries sponsored this event
by not charging for rooms, as well as by paying for some of the breaks and other fees. As such, “In Kind”
sponsorship should not be forgotten. Everyone agreed.
T. Mrozewski pointed out that for smaller institutions like his (Laurentian), it is a challenge to hold such events.
S. Biondo suggested that we take a survey of the membership to see who can do what for the conference.
Everyone thought this was a good idea.
S. Sunstrum brought up the idea of having the conference every two years and this might make it easier to
organize/arrange with the extra time?
D. Yanofsky liked the discussion and the ideas that were being presented…now we need to use the listserv
as well to keep it going.
S. Biondo asked if we moved the conference to May so that we have less overlap with other conferences the
members might want to attend.
D. Duda pointed out that the time of year is an important factor – in Newfoundland we always ask the
membership to come to St. John’s in July simply because of the weather.
d. Brendle-Moczuk felt that meeting every two years is not a good idea simply because of the speed of
technological change – we need to meet every year to help keep up with these changes.
C. Dietz supported the idea of having a survey.
D. Jones also felt that a conference every two years would create a situation of too many topics/presentations
in a restricted time frame.
S. Simpkin asked that the travel policy also include registration fees to be considered for reimbursement.
Not all members have access to funds from their respective institutions.
12.0 Nominations Report on Elections
D. Duda announced the new executive to the membership.
President – Siobhan Hanratty (University of New Brunswick)
Vice President/President Elect – D. Yanofsky (McGill University)
Past President – Rosa Orlandini (York University)
Vice President Professional Development – Jason Brodeur (McMaster University)
Vice President Communications and Outreach – Tracy Sallaway (Trent University)
Secretary – Marilyn Andrews (University of Regina)
Treasurer – Rebecca Bartlett (Carleton University)
13.0 Adjournment
Meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m. Moved by T. Mrozewski.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
37
ACMLA Student Award Winner
CAPITALIST CARTOGRAPHY: ROAD MAPPING IN INTERWAR
CANADA
Jeff Allen
University of Toronto
ACMLA Student Award Winner
Presented at CARTO 2015
Introduction
Road maps do not only show people how to get
from A to B; they also include capitalist messages
that have the power to influence and persuade.
This was especially true in Canada during the
interwar period (1919-1939), which was a time
of soaring private automobile ownership and road
construction, and with this, an increasing use of
road maps. At their surface, road maps provided
motorists with useful geographic and navigational
information. At closer observation, businesses
and governments used road maps as devices to
advance capitalism. They did this in three ways:
they used maps to advertise products and ventures,
they incorporated information in maps to promote
auto travel, and they used strategic cartographic
design to persuade travel along certain routes and
to certain destinations. These practices evolved
over the interwar period, and by the early 1940s,
they were ubiquitous in Canadian road mapping.
Background
The private automobile arrived in Canada near the
turn of the 20th century, but it wasn’t until after World
War I that auto ownership rapidly increased. Post
World War I, the costs associated with manufacturing
automobiles had decreased and the economy was
on the rise. Private vehicles, once thought of as
luxury items, became much more common. In 1913,
there were less than 55,000 registered vehicles
in Canada; in 1919 there were nearly 350,000
registered vehicles, and by 1930 there were over
1,200,000.1 The government heavily invested in road
construction projects to accommodate the growing
number of motorists. Old gravel and dirt roads
were paved over with concrete and thousands of
kilometres of new roads were built across Canada.
The length of surfaced roads in Canada nearly
doubled from 1922 to 1930.2 Both short and long
distance travel by road became more common.
In cities, people increasingly drove to commute
between home and work. In the countryside, people
increasingly drove for tourism, with wilderness
parks becoming popular destinations. Various
businesses also made use of newly surfaced roads
to transport goods. Roads and private vehicles had
become a driving force in the Canadian economy.
As more people used private vehicles for travel,
the more they needed to rely on themselves for
navigation. Road maps became essential navigational
tools for motorists. Road maps displayed the network
of roads that connected populated places as well as
the location of major geographical features (Figure
1). This allowed motorists to locate where they were,
where they needed to go, and which route they should
take. Roads were often depicted hierarchically;
those roads with better surfaces for driving or with
higher speed limits were often indicated with more
prominent lines. Places were also often shown
hierarchically with cities shown using a larger point
and corresponding type size than small towns and
villages. Road maps varied in coverage area and
scale. Some maps showed all of Canada, while others
mapped at a regional or provincial level. There were
1Larry McNally, “Roads, Streets, and Highways,” in Building Canada: a history of public works, ed. Norman R. Ball
(Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 1988), 36-37.
2Ibid.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
38
also urban road maps that showed the network of
streets in a city. Most road maps were printed onto
large sheets, but were able to fold up into a much
smaller size so they could easily be transported.
Mapping has a long history in Canada. Early
Canadian maps included those used during
exploration, land surveying, and defining
property boundaries.3 Specific industries like
infrastructure and natural resources relied on
maps for uses like construction plans and logistics.4
Most of these maps were designed for specific
purposes and they were not widely used by the
public. Maps became widely used after World War
I when people took to private vehicles for travel
and used maps for navigation. Road maps became
ubiquitous products sold in general stores and gas
stations across the country. With an increasing
demand for maps, came a growing number of
cartographers who designed and published them.
Most of these cartographers worked for governments
(federal, provincial, or local), private industries,
or community groups. These cartographers did
not design without motive or external influence.
Maps are often thought of as neutral – that they
accurately represent the geographical world
without subjectivity. Many people look at road
maps and think that what is shown on the map
should accurately correspond to a feature in the real
world, and vice versa, what they see in the real world
should be depicted on their map. But a map is not
the real world; it is an analogy of it.5 It is like the
real world, a representation of it, not a replication.
ACMLA Student Award Winner
3Hayes, Derek. Historical Atlas of Canada. Vancouver, BC: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., 2001.
4Ibid.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
39
As representations, all maps make generalizations
of the real world. Road maps use symbology,
particularly in the form of lines and points to
represent real world features at a reduced scale.
There are a number of choices a cartographer has
to make in map design. When designing a road
map, a cartographer decides what roads will be
depicted, how they are depicted (choices of colour,
line type, and label styles), and which roads will be
omitted entirely as well as what images and text
will accompany a map. All maps have a certain
rhetoric, which can be deconstructed to understand
their meaning beyond their visible geographical
representations.6 Road maps too are inherently
political documents. During the interwar period in
Canada, road maps were not only used for geographic
and navigational information, but as devices to
advance capitalism as well. There were three ways
that road maps were used for capitalist motives: by
being a vessel for visual advertisements for products
and businesses, by incorporating information in the
form text and images that encouraged auto travel,
and subliminally through cartographic design
to influence the choice of route and destination.
Advertising Brands & Products
The first way that road maps were used to advance
capitalism was through advertising. As maps
became indispensable products for motorists, they
became an opportunity for businesses to promote
themselves. Businesses began to superimpose
advertisements onto maps so more people would
be aware of their brands and buy their products.
The production of road maps was time consuming
and expensive and advertising was a way to keep
the sale prices of road maps down. Advertising
imagery on maps are explicit examples of how
businesses used maps to advance their objectives.
Oil companies benefitted from increased auto travel.
The more people drove, the more fuel they would
sell During the interwar period, oil companies
were expanding their network of gas stations to
sell fuel and other products to a growing number
of motorists.7 Several oil companies were in direct
competition with each other, and they started to use
maps to promote their brand. Oil companies hired
cartographers to produce road maps tailored to their
needs. Their road maps depicted regular features
like a hierarchical network of roads, populated
places, and other geographical features. Thus,
their maps were useful for navigation. However,
they would also include brand logos and other
visual advertisements on their maps for the gas
stations they operated and the products they sold.
Advertisements were often placed as insets or on
the versos of maps as well as on empty spaces on
the map itself like bodies of water. Standard map
elements such as titles, legends, and north arrows
often incorporated advertising imagery and brand
identity as well (Figure 2). By including these types
of advertising imagery on maps, oil companies were
anticipating that, as motorists used their maps,
the more likely they would buy their products.
Several community groups in Canada also produced
road maps during the interwar years. Motoring
clubs, composed of local motoring enthusiasts, often
hired cartographers to make maps. Local business
groups, like boards of trade, also produced road
maps that encouraged auto travel and tourism. Maps
produced by these community groups were usually at
a local or regional scale, at the level where they were
based. These maps included the main features found
on most road maps, such as road networks, populated
places, landmarks, and other geographical features.
These road maps often included advertisements
as well (Figure 3). Most advertisements were for
local businesses and locally available products.
Businesses would often pay for advertising space
on these maps and these advertisements would
offset some of the costs of map production and
publication. By including advertisements on their
maps, local businesses promoted themselves
to motorists in aims to sell more products.
ACMLA Student Award Winner
5Roger Downs, “Maps and Metaphors.” The Professional Geographer 33. no. 3 (August 1981): 289.
6J.B. Harely, “Deconstructing the Map,” Cartographica 26, no. 2 (1989): 3-4.
7The Canadian Encyclopaedia, “Gasoline Stations” accessed April 5, 2015 http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/
article/gasoline-stations/
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
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ACMLA Student Award Winner
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
41
ACMLA Student Award Winner
Promoting Auto Travel
The second way that road maps advanced capitalism
was by including text and imagery on maps to
further promote auto travel. Several industries
benefited directly from increasing auto travel during
the interwar period including oil companies, auto
manufacturers, and tourism. The more people drove,
the more money these industries would make. So
road maps often included promotional imagery
or tourist information to further encourage auto
travel. The iconography of these promotional images
incorporated romanticized depictions of the open
road, the great outdoors, and freedom of mobility
that auto travel could provide. The publishers of
these maps hoped these images would persuade
people to become motoring tourists.8 Some road
maps also included tourist information in the form
of promotional text that encouraged people to visit
specific places, many of which were only accessible
by car. Private industries, as well as government
bodies that benefitted from increased auto travel,
often included this information on their road maps.
Oil companies were heavily invested in increasing
auto travel. The more that people drove, the more
fuel they would sell. Not only did they produce road
maps that encompassed images that promoted
their brand and products, they also included
images that idealized auto travel. These images
were often included on the front cover of fold out
road maps. Some images showed romanticized
depictions of roads traversing scenic landscapes,
while others depicted cheerful motorists. These
were strategies to create a motoring culture
that would encourage more people to drive for
leisure. Other images emphasized a freedom
of mobility and endless destinations that auto
travel could provide. For example, in 1933, the
oil company Shell published maps with a cover
image of a motorist in front of a collage of license
plates from all over North America (Figure 4).
8James Akerman, “American Promotional Road Mapping in the Twentieth Century.” Cartography and Geographic
Information Science 29. no. 2 (July 2002): 175.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
42
In some cases, promotional imagery fused brand
and product advertisements with images that
encouraged auto travel. Several images on map
covers showed motorists being assisted by gas
station attendants. By including these romanticized
images on their road maps, oil companies were
attempting to persuade motorists to drive more
often, and thus purchase more of their products.
Even the Canadian government promoted auto travel
with their road maps. Several government bodies,
at both the federal and provincial levels, produced
yearly road maps. Although these maps were void
of overt advertising found on maps produced by
private industries like oil companies, government
issued road maps were not objective; their motives
were just not as apparent. Government bodies were
spending millions of dollars in expanding the road
network and were also expanding their network
of public wilderness parks. Road maps were a
vehicle to promote these ventures. Government
issued road maps included scenic images of modern
highways winding through picturesque landscapes
or iconic images of natural phenomena (Figure 5).
Government issued maps often included text as
insets or on the verso of maps describing popular
landmarks or nature that drivers might encounter
during their trips further encouraging travel to
certain places. By including these images and texts on
road maps, the Canadian government was attempting
to sway the public to travel on their roads and visit
their public parks. Also, the more people drove, the
more money the government would make in fuel tax.
ACMLA Student Award Winner
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
43
Strategic Cartographic Design
The third way that road maps were able to advance
capitalism was subliminally through cartographic
design. The signs and symbology on maps are
often designed to be instruments of persuasion.9
Through processes of cartographic generalization
- how information is selected and represented on
a map - cartographers are able to influence route
selection and choice of destination. For example, if
a road map shows two different routes connecting
two cities, most drivers will take the route that is
depicted with a more prominent line on the map
(Figure 6). In some circumstances, businesses or
governments would benefit if motorists drove along
specific routes or visited specific places rather
than others. Strategic cartographic generalization
was a method of persuading motorists to do so.
ACMLA Student Award Winner
Auto insurance companies delved into road
mapping during the 1930s. Similar to oil companies,
they hired cartographers to produce road maps,
which they then provided to their clients or sold
to promote their brand. Their maps included the
main features found on most road maps as well as
company logos and contact information. Insurance
companies attempted to influence motorists using
their maps. The fewer motorists got into accidents,
the fewer insurance claims, and the higher their
revenues would be. Their maps showed significant
detail of road surface type, depicted hierarchically.
The more prominent roads on their maps were
usually roads that were safer and less likely for
cars to get stuck or break down. By persuading
motorists to drive on certain roads, the insurance
companies were anticipating fewer claims.
9Dennis Wood & Fels, John. “Designs on signs / myth and meaning in maps.” Cartographica 23, no. 3 (September
1986): 54.
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
44
ACMLA Student Award Winner
Government issued road maps also attempted to
persuade motorists through cartographic design.
The government produced road maps partly to
promote publically operated tourist sites, like
wilderness parks and campgrounds. These parks
often relied on entry fees to help fund operating
costs. Government issued road maps highlighted
the location of these parks, while those parks
and campgrounds that were privately operated
were less likely to be depicted on their maps.
Also, provincial governments were developing
new networks of provincial highways. They used
cartographic design to promote these newly paved
roads. Their maps depicted roads hierarchically;
their newly paved roads were drawn with
thicker lines than older roads. By doing this, the
government was influencing motorists to drive on
their newly paved roads. By persuading people
to drive on their roads and visit their parks, they
were promoting their efforts to their tax base.
Conclusion
Governments and private industries used road maps
as vehicles of power, influence, and persuasion to
advance capitalism during the interwar period.
This was done in three ways: by including explicit
advertisements on maps, by incorporating
information that encouraged auto travel, and
subliminally through strategic cartographic
design. These methods were successful as they
continued to be used after World War II. Even
the term “road map” entered the modern lexicon
as an analogy for planning and forethought. Auto
travel increased throughout the 20th century;
use of road maps became even more prevalent;
and cartography continued upon the capitalist
traditions established during the interwar period.
Bibliography:
Primary Sources:
Canadian Travel Bureau. Map indicating main
automobile roads between United States and
Canada. Map. Ministry of Transport. 1939.
Accessed from Map and Data Library, University
of Toronto.
Carruthers, H. K. Official road map of eastern
Ontario and part of Quebec, New York and Vermont.
Map. Perth Board of Trade. 1927. Accessed from
Library and Archives Canada Online.
Copp Clark Limited. Provinces of British Columbia
and Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Map.
British American Oil Company. 193-. Accessed
from Map and Data Library, University of Toronto.
H. M. Gousha Company. Shell Metropolitan Map,
Official Road Map of Ontario. Map. 1933. Accessed
from Map and Data Library, University of Toronto.
H. M. Gousha Company. Shell Metropolitan Map,
Ottawa and Quebec. Map. 1933. Accessed from
Map and Data Library, University of Toronto.
Imperial Oil Limited. Imperial Oil Map of Eastern
Canada. Map. 1934. Accessed from Map and Data
Library, University of Toronto.
Saskatchewan Motor Club, Northern Division. City
of Saskatoon. Map. 193?. Accessed from Map and
Data Library, University of Toronto.
Tyrrel, J. W. Road Map of the Province of Ontario.
Map. Touring Department of the Ontario Motor
League. 1920. Accessed from Library and Archives
Canada Online.
Wilson, Norman. Map of part of the province of
Ontario. Map. Department of Public Highways.
1922. Accessed from Library and Archives Canada.
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
45
Secondary Sources:
Akerman, James. “American Promotional Road
Mapping in the Twentieth Century.” Cartography
and Geographic Information Science 29. no. 2 (July
2002): 175-191.
Akerman, James. “Twentieth-Century American Road
Maps and the Making of a National Motorized Space,”
in Cartographies of Travel and Navigation, edited
by James Akerman, 151-206. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 2006.
Crampton, Jeremy. Mapping, a critical introduction
into Cartography and GIS. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-
Blackwell, 2010.
Downs, Roger. “Maps and Metaphors.” The
Professional Geographer 33. no. 3 (August 1981):
287-293.
Harley, J.B. “Deconstructing the Map,” Cartographica
26, no. 2 (1989): 1-20.
Harley, J. B. “Maps, Knowledge, and Power,” in
The Iconography of Landscape: Essays on the
Symbolic Representation, Design and Use of Past
Environments, edited by D. Cosgrove and S. Daniels,
277-312. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1988.
Hayes, Derek. Historical Atlas of Canada. Vancouver,
BC: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., 2001.
McNally, Larry. “Roads, Streets, and Highways,” in
Building Canada: a history of public works, edited
by Norman R. Ball, 30-58. Toronto, ON: University
of Toronto Press, 1988.
The Canadian Encyclopaedia, s.v. “Gasoline
Stations” accessed April 5, 2015 http://www.
thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gasoline-stations/
Wood, Denis & Fels, John. “Designs on signs / myth
and meaning in maps.” Cartographica 23, no. 3
(MONTH 1986): 54-103.
Wood, Denis. The Power of Maps, 1-47. New York,
NY: The Guilford Press, 1992.
Jeff Allen studies human geography, GIS, and
spatial analysis at the University of Toronto.
His current study interests include researching
the history of road maps in Canada, combining
web-cartography with open data, and exploring
Toronto’s urban geographies with GIS. He is
currently working as a research assistant building
a municipal election GIS for Toronto. Contact him
at jeff.allen@mail.utoronto.ca or view a few of
his mapping projects at http://jamaps.github.io/.
ACMLA Student Award Winner
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
46
REVIEWS
Compiled by Sarah Simpkin
Atlas of Cities
Reviewed by Jordan Hale
Knox, Paul, ed. Atlas of Cities. Princeton and
Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2014. 256p.
$49.50 USD. ISBN 978-0-691-15781-8.
The Atlas of Cities is a visually impressive
overview of urbanization and urbanism around
the world, featuring striking maps executed in a
consistent and attractive style. Each double-page
spread is devoted to a concise explanation of a
trait or pattern associated with city life, with
illustrations and photographs accompanying
graphics illustrating space, time, and flow. The
atlas is organized according to a taxonomy
of cities developed by the authors, with each
major theme represented by “core cities” and
“secondary cities” (the core and secondary
designations are merely meant to represent
primary and supplementary case studies, and
are not meant to contrast relative importance).
Over the course of the atlas, we learn about
networked cities, imperial cities, rational cities,
celebrity cities, green cities, creative cities, and
more - on the topic of creative cities, Richard
Florida supplied the foreword, and notable
geographers Andrew Herod, Peter Taylor, editor
Paul Knox and others contribute chapter content.
The cartographic team skillfully demonstrates
how each city fits within its classification
through minimalist maps that impart just
the necessary information with no excess
detail. Map scales range from examinations
of historic centres and business districts to
overviews of cities within their regional and
global contexts, and many different styles of
map design (including some three-dimensional
works) are meaningfully employed to provide
both variety and inspiration, with data sources
properly cited. The design of the non-spatial
infographics that appear in the text riff off of
the book’s themes without being cheesy, and
it is artfully photo edited. The elegance of
this atlas and its maps cannot be overstated.
My criticisms of the work relate to its
overwhelming focus on cities in highly developed
countries – my use of “around the world”
instead of “global” in the first sentence of this
review is intentional, as it is far from globally
representative. There is an evident bias toward
Europe and North America from the atlas’
historical overviews to the present, with a select
few Asian cities seen as successful through the
lens of capitalism. When we read about cities
outside these continents, it is frequently framed
in terms of the problems associated with conflict
and poverty. While I can see the editor’s desire
to use well-known archetypes in building up this
typology of cities, I feel that there is a missed
opportunity in not showing what is happening
in locations not typically known to an Anglo-
American audience. Instead of telling us what
life is like in cities that have the budget to market
themselves as on the cutting edge of sustainability,
entertainment, and innovation, why not highlight
lesser-known citizen-led hubs of creativity in
developing nations, or feature the widespread
penetration of mobile technologies in various
African cities as an example of “intelligent”
urbanism? While the Atlas of Cities is quite
successful in visualizing well-known patterns,
I feel it would be much stronger if it illustrated
just how widespread these phenomena are.
Jordan Hale, Original Cataloguer & Reference
Specialist
Map & Data Library, University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
47
Great Maps
Reviewed by Andrew Nicholson
Brotton, Jerry. Great Maps. New York, New York:
DK Publishing, 2014. 263p. $26.00 CDN. ISBN
978-1-4654-2463-1.
The DK Publishing house are well known
for producing general reference books and
beautiful coffee table-like publications on a
wide range of topics. For one of their latest
books, Great Maps, DK has partnered with the
Smithsonian Institution to produce a beautifully
illustrated reference source highlighting
over 60 items of cartographic material,
from human beginnings to the present day.
In the preface, Jerry Brotton, the author of
Great Maps, reminds the reader that maps have
far greater meaning then just as navigational
tools. Over history, people have created and
used maps to help “centre” themselves in a
global, and even universal, context. Brotton
goes on to say that maps “are as much about
existence as they are about orientation.” In
selecting the maps for his book, the author
takes the consensus view of what a map actually
is: “a graphic representation that presents a
spatial understanding of things, concepts, or
events in the human world”. He reminds us that
maps are always subjective and are designed
to meet the specific needs of their audience.
Brotton’s approach is clearly seen in his map
selection for the book. As anyone familiar
with cartographic history would expect,
Brotton has included some famous examples
of maps, which altered how people perceived
the world. These include Waldseemuller’s
“America” map from 1507, and John Snow’s
cholera maps from 1854. More interestingly
however, the author has also included some
more obscure pieces of cartographic history,
including Fuller’s Dymaxion map from
1943, and the digital Cartogram from 2008.
What’s also noteworthy about the map
selections in Great Maps is the inclusion of
many non-western works such as Dunhuang’s
Star Chart from ancient China, the Aztec
Map of Tenochtitlan, and the rice paper map
of the Japanese coastline from Hokkaido to
Kyushu drawn in 1821. These are just a few
examples of the map gems found in Great Maps.
Along with including both the familiar and
more obscure map treasures, Brotton and DK
Publishing have done wonderful job in both the
layout and presentation of these map wonders.
Taking a chronological approach, Great Maps
is laid out over five chapters. These include
“Classical Maps 1500 BCE-1300CE”; “Discovery
and Travel 1300-1570”; “New Directions and
Beliefs 1570-1750”; “Thematic Maps 1750-
1900”; and “Modern Mapping 1900 to Present”.
Each chapter has 12-15 examples of individual
maps, which Brotton believes were both beautiful
and groundbreaking at that time of their creation.
Unlike other atlases or histories of cartography,
which typically focus on technical progress
and improvements in scientific accuracy, Great
Maps focuses more on the human expression
of ideas and visions using maps, regardless of
accuracy or format. Another difference between
Great Maps and other similar map-illustrated
coffee table books is the treatment and layout
of the individual map examples. Rather than
just presenting the map with some background
text, the author devotes much attention to the
detail of each map example, and the person or
persons who were behind the map creation.
Each map example is given several pages and
includes a “visual tour”, in which sections and
specific details of the map are focused upon and
discussed. A general description of the map, its
size, and format are also given; as well as its
physical location. Sidebars are also featured
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
48
for each map example, which discuss the map
creator and the context of the times the map
example was created in. Sidebars describing
the mapmaking technique are also included.
Although Great Maps is a simple title,
it does not begin to do justice to this fine
cartographic history reference work. With
its well-researched selections and beautiful
illustrations, Great Maps provides a very
accessible entranceway into the world of maps
and cartographic history for newcomers, but will
also provide new gems and insights for those
already familiar with maps and map making.
Andrew Nicholson
GIS/Data Librarian
University of Toronto Mississauga
Mississauga, Ontario
Maps and memes: redrawing culture, place,
and identity in indigenous communities
Reviewed by Francine Berish
Eades, Gwilym Lucas. Maps and memes:
redrawing culture, place, and identity in
indigenous communities. Canada: McGill-
Queen’s University Press, 2015. 264p. $34.95.
ISBN 978-07735-4449-9.
With the current popularity and proliferation of
internet memes, you might think a work titled
Maps and Memes was targeted to the popular
press, but do not let the title fool you. This book
is intended for a high-level academic audience.
Eades dedicates a significant portion of the book
to describing his methodology for “place-memes”,
a term based in memetic theory to describe a
cultural unit of information about place passed
on over time and across space. This work delivers
a unique synthesis of related theory, primary
research and storytelling to form a distinctive
discourse for the discussion of place, culture
and identity in indigenous communities. Eades
accomplishes a difficult task in tying together
decades of memetic literature and spatial theory
with primary research collected working among
different indigenous communities in Canada.
The inclusion of cartography strengthens Eades
arguments, helping the reader understand how
the creation of maps according to Western
standards can impose external cultural norms
that influence changes to landscapes over
time. The incorporation of indigenous artwork
and maps demonstrates how mapping and
GIS practices are challenged by the complex
interactions between place and culture. Using his
participation in the Wemindji Cree Community’s
long walk kaachewaapechuu as an example,
Eades demonstrates the processes in which
commemorative journeys influence cultural
relationships with place. These relationships
in turn shape intergenerational knowledge,
landscape, toponymy and language. Eades
concludes with some insights on how to promote
indigenous viewpoints through mapping and GIS
education. With a likeness to a master’s thesis,
this work is well suited to research library
collections.
Francine Berish
Geospatial Data Librarian
Queen’s University
Kingston, ON
Bulletin de l’ACACC Numéro 150, Printemps/Été 2015
49
From the Reviews Editor:
Thanks to those who submitted book reviews and to all who have expressed interest in reviewing! I’ll
continue to request review copies from publishers - but please let me know if you have read a book of
interest to the ACMLA and would like to submit a review, and if you have any suggestions for titles/sources.
Here are the review guidelines:
ACMLA Bulletin Book Review Guidelines
Review Format
1. Bibliographic Citation
This should include: author, title, edition, place of publication, publisher, date, number of pages, price (if
known) and ISBN. Example:
Bussey, Ben and Spudis, Paul D. The Clementine Atlas of the Moon. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2004. 316p. $80.00 US. ISBN 0-521-81528-2.
2. Content
The review should describe and critically evaluate the work. Typical review elements include: scope, purpose
and content of the work; intended audience; writing style; background and authority of the author; how the
work compares with other titles on the same subject; its usefulness as a research tool; any unique features;
and its suitability for library collections.
The length of the review is at the reviewer’s discretion, but should normally reflect the importance of the
work. A typical review is about 500 words.
3. Your name, title, institutional affiliation, city and province/state
Editorial Policy
Opinions expressed in reviews are those of the reviewer, not of the ACMLA. The Reviews Editor may make
minor edits, without communicating with the reviewer. Should the Editor determine that a major revision
is required, she will contact the reviewer for discussion.
Sarah Simpkin
Reviews Editor
ACMLA Bulletin Number 150, Spring/Summer 2015
50
GEOSPATIAL DATA SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Compiled by Andrew Nicholson
Region of Peel Open Data
http://opendata.peelregion.ca/
Reviewed by Andrew Nicholson
As the editor of the Geospatial Data Reviews for the
ACMLA Bulletin, I am choosing for this issue to return
to the topic of Open Data sets. In past issues of the
Bulletin, ACMLA members have submitted open data
reviews for such cities as Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa,
and Mississauga. For this edition, we are going to be
looking at a larger political entity: the Region of Peel.
Why Peel?
With a population of almost 1,300,000 in the 2011
Census, the Region of Peel is in fact the second
largest municipal entity in Ontario after Toronto, and
comprises the cities of Brampton, and Mississauga,
as well as the Township of Caledon. From a
geographical and broader research perspective,
the Region of Peel provides a rich canvas for many
potential research projects involving data. The
Region of Peel includes perhaps the most diverse
and rapidly growing population in Canada, with
many new immigrants arriving every year. Peel has
also experienced dramatic and controversial land
use changes in the last two decades as a growing
population and urbanizing pressures of neighbouring
Toronto has placed the region’s shrinking rural and
agricultural spaces under increasing threat. Lastly,
the Region of Peel is also home to the largest airport
in Canada and key transportation hub for Ontario
and the rest of Canada making its connections
and future needs an interesting source of study
Description and Metadata
The Peel Open Data is a web resource made available
to the public by the Peel Data Centre which itself is
managed by the Service Innovation, Information
and Technology Department of the Peel Regional
Municipality. Unlike some other municipalities in
Canada which only offers open data from one or a
few agencies of a city, the Peel Data Centre works to
manage and provide access to data from all
divisions of the Peel municipal government. This
is reflected in the broad range of data you will
find available from the website. You can browse
the datasets under the following categories:
“Demographics”, “Economic Activity”, “Environment
and Resources”, “Facilities and Structures:, “Forecasts
and Performance Indicators”, “Regional Geography”,
and “Transportation”. Also included is a “Food Check”
section, which includes data from food inspections
at restaurants across Peel.
There is also an “A to Z” link allowing a user to
browse all the available open datasets provided by
Peel Region.
Through listening to its users and perhaps learning
from the mistakes made in other cities embarking
on open data initiatives, Peel Open Data is very
comprehensive in serving up metadata for each
of its open data sets. All the salient information
is provided when one clicks on the data link,
including the names of the Data Steward and Data
Custodian, last updated year of the data, coordinate
system of the data, and contact email address.
Currency and Formats
As with many other Canadian municipalities, the
Region of Peel provides their open data in a number
of different formats depending on the type of data and
the applicable licences. Excel files are by far the most
heavily offered format which is no surprise given
that the majority of their data is based on numeric
sources such as the Census and National Household
Survey files. Google Earth KMZ and Esri Shapefiles
are also comm