Of Maps and Meta-Records: Eighty-Five Years of Map Cataloguing at The National Archives of the United Kingdom

  • Andrew Janes

Abstract

This article explores how map cataloguing practices at the UK’s Public Record Office and at its successor, The National Archives, evolved between 1926 and 2011, with particular emphasis on changes associated with the transition from paperbased to electronic finding aids. The development of an online catalogue and associated adoption of ISAD(G) in the late 1990s triggered not only radical changes in the finding aids system for maps but also a thorough re-examination of map cataloguing standards. When codifying these standards, staff drew on various sources of experience and expertise to address the particular descriptive requirements of cartographic records, including theoretical knowledge, in-house tradition, and best practices from the library sector. By revisiting traditional tools such as index maps, staff have continued to develop the finding aid system to meet the needs of twenty-first-century users.

RÉSUMÉ 

Cet article explore comment les pratiques de catalogage de cartes au Public Record Office en Grande-Bretagne, et à son successeur, les Archives nationales, ont évolué entre 1926 et 2011, tout en plaçant l’accent sur les changements associés à la transition des instruments de recherche en version papier au numérique. Le développement d’un catalogue en ligne et l’adoption conséquente de l’ISAD(G) à la fin des années 1990 ont engendré non seulement des changements radicaux au niveau des instruments de recherche pour les cartes, mais aussi un nouvel examen des normes descriptives des cartes. En codifiant ces normes, le personnel s’est inspiré de diverses sources d’expérience et d’expertise pour répondre aux besoins descriptifs particuliers des documents cartographiques, y compris les connaissances théoriques, les façons de faire à l’interne et les meilleures pratiques du secteur des bibliothèques. En révisant les outils traditionnels tels les index sur cartes, le personnel a continué à développer un système d’instruments de recherche pour rencontrer les besoins des usagers du XXIe siècle. 

Author Biography

Andrew Janes

Andrew Janes holds a BA in Linguistics from Durham University and an MPhil in Linguistics from the University of Cambridge. He worked on catalogue retrospective conversion projects at The National Archives (UK) and at the University of London’s Senate House Library before studying for an MSc (Econ) in Archive Administration at Aberystwyth University. Since 2008, Andrew has worked in the Advice and Records Knowledge department at The National Archives, specializing in maps and related records. He is particularly interested in the use and reuse of cartographic materials in recordkeeping.

Published
2012-11-17
How to Cite
Janes, Andrew. 2012. “Of Maps and Meta-Records: Eighty-Five Years of Map Cataloguing at The National Archives of the United Kingdom”. Archivaria 74 (November), 119-65. https://www.archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/article/view/13409.