PRESERVING AND DIGITALLY ARCHIVING HISTORIC COAL MINE MAPS FOR INDIANA'S COAL MINE INFORMATION SYSTEM

The Indiana Geological Survey (IGS) has been utilizing information from historic underground coal mine maps as part of the Indiana Coal Mine Information System (CMIS) since 1981. In recent years the deteriorating condition of these historic paper maps has become a focus of the CMIS project, and the need to preserve and digitally archive this important data resource has become a priority. We must ensure the stability of the paper maps, as well as digitally capture the data contained on these fragile documents. Indiana's underground coal mine maps have not been preserved or stored in conditions favorable for keeping them structurally stable and legible. The IGS is now taking steps to preserve the data contained on the maps and has received federal funding from the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) in support of IGS efforts to preserve the maps and the important information they contain.

To gain access to the historic mine maps, the IGS established a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indiana State Archives, where the documents are stored. This agreement allows the IGS temporary possession of the historic maps in order to preserve, repair (when necessary), and scan the documents. We determined the steps and procedures to preserve the documents from recommendations given by Jim Canary, Special Collections Conservator of the Indiana University Lilly Library. These steps include humidifying the folded maps, flattening, repairing, and encapsulating (when necessary) each map to prepare it for scanning. We use scanning standards recommended by OSM's Underground Mine Mapping Committee to achieve a digital visual equivalent of the mine map and archive the raw tagged image file (TIF) that results.

The resulting images from this process represent the most accurate and carefully duplicated mine map images possible. These digital images are archived at the IGS and the OSM Mine Map Repository in Pittsburgh, Pa. Additionally, the images will be integrated into the CMIS and made available along with other coal mine data to the public through the IGS Web site.