Thanks!

Folks, I really enjoyed the presentations today and I look forward to reading some fine papers on Monday. Thanks for taking this class so seriously over the last eight weeks, and have a good rest-of-the-summer (such as it is). Cheers,

GREG

In Need of a Good Map

As a Connecticut native, I have spent the evening glued to the television watching the primary results. Unfortunately, I have had no luck finding a map that shows the breakdown of the election by town. Has anyone seen anything? If so, could you please post it? I am suffering from severe election map withdrawl.

A fun Friday art "map"

If our maps for the class project don't turn out quite right, we can always convert them into art! Here's a map of neighborhood outlines in Chicago, but they are arranged in order by Alderman district numbers, rather than in spatial order. I thought it was interesting to see shapes taken partially, but not entirely out of context.

educational system maps

I chose the educational system map as the one I think it's important for libraries to know. The presence of a university or college in a particular area would likely influence the local library holdings, and also help them to better understand their patron population. Futhermore, the local library could be called upon to offer materials that are lacking in public and private school libraries, or even act as a school library if the local school doesn't have one.

WI Map

I had a very difficult time deciding which map to choose as one library professionals should know because, as someone else also stated, patrons want all kinds of information, and because much of the focus of this atlas is historical, and don't always reflect the current issues people want information on.
That said, I think the maps of the state government (page 84) and the population/congressional districts (pp. 82-3) are important for librarians to know because there are always questions about government and population, especially at the state level. The chart showing gubernatorial elections is wonderful (as is the presidential elections in WI chart on page 81).

WI Altas

The map I picked as one of the most important for librarians and information professionals to understand is the 'Recent Environmental Controversies' map on page 59 in the Land and Economy section. The reason I decided on this map is because this gives insight into how the area is changing, as opposed to a selection that shows how the area has changed - which would also help to map changes up ahead. In regard to how this can change a collection, the map gives the librarian an idea of what problems or issues will be of most interest in a certain area and can then acquire information accordingly. With the big fluctuation in temperatures and global warming on everyone's mind, including Al Gore's, interest in the changing environment is increasing - or should. The text that goes with the map also helps the information professional to place the map in context: WI is a leader in environmental concerns, which means other states are worse.