Government Documents And Microforms

Providing reference service to the Map Collection: a quick overview
By Ken Rockwell

“Life-line” numbers: Contact me at 1-8324 ; also Barbara Cox at 7-9167

Most heavily used items by far: USGS topographic maps, particularly the large-scale (7.5-minute) quadrangles for Utah . Index posted. For other states, index in 1 st drawer.

Medium-scale topos (1:100,000-scale): tricky due to Lat./Long. arrangement. See the index sheet in first drawer. Call no.: G3700 s100 .U6

BLM versions of these sheets for the Western states are useful for seeing what gov't agency controls what parcel of land, and where the private lands are. Call no.:

G3701.G5 s100 .U5

Older topographic sets, useful for historic information, e.g., old roads:

• 15-minute series (G3700 s62 .U5)
• 30-minute series (G3700 s125 .U5)
• 60-minute series (G3700 s250 .U5)

Geologic map series:

• USGS geologic investigations (“I”) series (name has varied, but always identified by an “I” in front of i.d. number): G3701.C5 svar .U45
• USGS geologic quadrangle series (GQ): G3701.C5 svar .G4
• USGS miscellaneous field studies (MF): G3701.C5 svar .U4
• Utah Geological Survey map series: G4341.C5 svar .U8

If someone asks for a geologic map covering a specific USGS quadrangle, use catalog for an “exact title” search: (name) quadrangle, (state) This will probably fetch the topographic maps, and if a geologic edition has been published, the title will be followed by “geology” or “geologic map.” Ex. Sugar House quadrangle, Utah, geology

Place names: I f someone asks for a map of a given city, ask if he wants a detailed map (streets) or just needs to locate the place.

• For detailed maps, try subject heading search in catalog:
• To locate a place in U.S., try the USGS Geographic Names Information System:

http://geonames.usgs.gov/ (Or Google “Geonames”—should be first hit)

• To locate places in other countries, such as someone's ancestral home in Poland, try the Defense Department's GeoNet Names Server:

http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/ (or Google “Geonet Names”—should be the first hit.)

• If they're looking for a whole bunch of places for a class assignment, direct them to an appropriate atlas with a good index (“gazetteer”).

Accompanying sheet materials: Call no. same as a book elsewhere in the library, including U of U thesis maps and tables. Geology theses: QE3.5 (year)

Odd locations in the Map Collection

Atlases: G1000-G3122. Most don't circulate due to their cost. An exception is the series of popular road atlases by Delorme and Benchmark. Utah: G1515

“Reference area:” Includes maps in cardboard covers and pamphlets that accompany maps. Most of these DO circulate.

Oversize maps: If catalog tells you its location is “Maps, Oversize” it's in the big case at the end.

Middle East maps: The upright cases have now been brought down from 5 th Floor.

Call numbers:

The Marriott Library's Map Collection is arranged by a Library of Congress call number schedule that is based on the geographic coverage of the map. The world has been divided up by number, and each state, country, or region given a call number range of 3 to 5 numbers. A typical call number range is broken down as follows, using Utah as an example:

• G4340 – General maps of the state of Utah as a whole
• G4341 – thematic maps of Utah. The “1” will be followed by a Cutter (alphanumeric code) that gives the subject of the map. Examples:
• G4341.C5: Geologic maps of Utah
• G4341.E63: Outdoor recreation maps of Utah
• G4341.P2: Road maps of Utah
• G4342 – Maps of a region within Utah, such as mountain ranges, national parks and forests, etc. Example: G4342.Z5 = Zion National Park. A second Cutter pointing to subject may follow. So G4342.Z5 C5 is a geologic map of Zion.
• G4343 – Admininistrative subdivisions of the larger area—counties in the case of Utah and other states. So G4343.S2 = Salt Lake County. Again, it may be followed by a subject cutter.
• G4344 – Cities within the larger area. G4344.S3 is Salt Lake City.

Last revised: July 21, 2005