MAPS FROM CANADA [CANADIAN MAP DEPOSITORY created by Stuart Basefsky]

The Canadian Map Depository was created by Stuart Basefsky in his role as Map Librarian in the Public Documents Department of Perkins Library. Stuart directly solicited the Canadian Government for this special designation which resulted in Duke receiving Canadian Maps free of charge for as long as the Canadian Government maintains the program.

DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
Vol. 2, No. 1 Fall, 1988

https://archive.org/stream/dukeuniversityli02ezze/dukeuniversityli02ezze_djvu.txt

MAPS FROM CANADA

The growth of the Canadian

Studies Center and an upswing in

the public's interest in Canada

were major factors leading to the

recent designation of Perkins Li-

brary as one of a handful of U.S.

depositories for Canadian maps.

In requesting depository status,

Stuart Basefsky, documents refer-

ence and maps librarian, cited the

growing amount of research in the

Triangle area involving Canada

and the increasing number of

Canadians migrating to and vaca-

tioning in North Carolina. "A lot of

people aren't aware of all the ties

between Canada and the Caro-

linas. In addition to the business

and research projects being con-

ducted, our state is the number

one vacation spot for Canadians."

The library was already a

depository for Canadian govern-

ment publications, but there were

gaps in the Canadian map collec-

tion. As a map depository, the li-

brary will receive lists of the avail-

able maps and series of maps for

ordering. Clark Cahow, director of

the Canadian Studies Center, said

he is excited about the new availa-

bility of the maps. We couldn't be

happier about this, because it's go-

ing to provide us a graphic set of

maps for history, economy, sociol-

ogy, political science and public

policy. We'll receive political and

economic maps as well as stan-

dard geographic maps. Anyone in-

terested in population growth and 

demographics will also be glad to

hear about the maps." 

Access to most of the maps is-

sued by the Canadian government

will also aid researchers working

in areas such as forestry, geology,

environmental studies, anthropol-

ogy, and "people who plan to go

fishing," according to Basefsky.

"These maps can be used in a

thousand different ways. They can

be used by botanists to locate ex- 

actly where a certain type of plant

is found and by epidemiologists to

track a disease. Their uses are

endless."

The Canadian government

wants the public as well as aca-

demics to use the maps, he said.

"When they make a Canadian

map depository, their interest is

that it get the widest distribution

and use possible."

The several hundred Canadian

maps will comprise only a small

portion of Perkins' total collection

of 100,000 maps but will consti-

tute a significant grouping.