ACCESSING AND PRESERVING FIELD MAPS AND NOTEBOOKS: THE STANFORD GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MAP AND FIELD NOTEBOOK ACCESS PROJECT

The goal of the Stanford Geological Survey (SGS) Map and Field Notebook Access Project is to make all of the work done by the SGS during the 100 years of its existence available to any who might find it useful. The unorganized piles of maps and notebooks were arranged by year and then correlated together by the author, field season, and survey area. Permission to digitize and make available the items over the Internet was sought from each author. The few existing catalog records were updated and standardized. Cataloging templates, scanning standards, and metadata elements were set. Scanning of selected maps and notebooks from each geographic area and field season has begun in earnest, using a wide feed-through scanner, book scanners, or an overhead digital camera. Luna Insight software was chosen to provide access to the scanned map images. Notebook display is still being investigated. Access to the Web images as well as to the original documents will be available via the catalog records. Complete documentation for all items via a detailed spreadsheet will remain available at Branner Library.

The work is made possible by a grant from the California State Library through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and includes matching funds from Stanford. An advisory board is consulted to ensure that decisions made will lead to a product of use to geologists. The work requires careful coordination with Stanford's digital preservation staff, metadata librarian, and computing staff, among others.