F e d e r a l D e p o s i t o r y L i b r a r y P r o g r a m ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program ------------------------------------------------------------------------ April 15, 2002 GP 3.16/3-2:23/05 (Vol. 23, no. 05) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Readers Exchange Superseding CIA Maps (PREX 3.10/4): Barbara J. McCormack-Dunfee Government Documents Coordinator Devereaux Library South Dakota School of Mines and Technology [A version of this report appeared originally on GOVDOC-L.] Regional depositories must retain all of the CIA maps, however, if you are a selective depository, old maps may be superseded as new ones are released. Libraries that have constant patron requests for these older maps, such as those of the former Soviet Union, often choose to retain all editions. The Devereaux Library at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) has little demand for current maps, let alone older ones, therefore about a year ago we decided to weed our older collection. Other libraries facing this situation may find our process and discoveries helpful. The CIA series of maps simply adds a new /# after the cutter, rather than using the old /# and adding a date when a new edition is released. The first thing to check is the number in small print under the map. One number is constant and is called the base number. The other number changes when a map is republished. When two base numbers match and the other numbers differ, one map supersedes the other. Near these numbers is the publication date, given in numerical form. To make matters more interesting (and more complicated), over the last 25 years the base numbering system has changed at least twice – there may be two maps that exactly match with different base numbers. These changes seem to have been phased in over a number of years, so there is no simple cut-off date; however, one seems to have happened in the early 1980s and the other in perhaps the early-mid 1990s. When SDSM&T weeded these maps, a visual comparison of the map edges was made to make sure they actually reproduced each other at the borders, generally by noting the positions of cities, latitude and longitude lines, or road intersections. If the maps duplicated exactly, one was superseded. If the maps were slightly different and over five years old, they were added to our weeding list. If they were less than five years old we retained them as part of our collection. When checking maps, keep in mind that generally each country has two maps, one that is strictly political boundaries, and another that includes the physical features. The political maps supersede each other, and the physical maps supersede each other, but the political ones do not supersede the physical and vice versa. Watch out for countries that have changed names, and therefore changed cutters, as well as oddities like North Korea being under K, but South Korea being under S. There are also a few two-word country names with cutters under both letters like East Germany, which means a superseded map might hide under an entirely different cutter. (You can tear your hair out now...) Having a large desk or countertop on which to sort was invaluable. It also helped to sort the small letter-size maps separately from the large maps. One solution that was used at SDSM&T was to place the small maps in a three-ring binder on top of our map case. This prevents them from being "lost" in normal map case drawers. Below is a list of country names that have changed. The list was created out of desperation during the process of sorting out superseded editions of CIA maps and State Department Background Notes. Congo is especially confusing since it can refer to either the Republic of the Congo or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which are two entirely different and distinct countries. Any corrections or additions to this list will be most welcome. Barbara.McCormack@sdsmt.edu Old Name Current Name Afars and Issas Djibouti Bechuanaland Botswana Belgian Congo Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) British Guiana Guyana British Honduras Belize Central African Empire Central African Republic Ceylon Sri Lanka Congo may refer to either the Republic of the Congo, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo Free State Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Dahomey Republic of Benin Dutch Guiana Suriname Dutch West Indies Netherlands Antilles French Congo Chad, Gabon, Congo (Republic of the Congo), and Central African Republic French Equatorial Africa Chad, Gabon, Congo (Republic of the Congo), and Central African Republic French Somaliland Djibouti French Territory of the Afars Djibouti and Issas Ivory Coast Côte d'Ivoire Malagasy Republic Madagascar Muscat and Oman Oman North Yemen now part of Yemen Northern Rhodesia Zambia Nyasaland Malawi Persia Iran Rhodesia Zimbabwe Ruanda Rwanda Siam Thailand South-West Africa Namibia Southern Rhodesia Zimbabwe Southern Yemen now part of Yemen Surinam variant spelling Suriname Trucial Oman United Arab Emirates Trucial States United Arab Emirates Upper Volta Burkina Faso Western Sahara now part of Morocco Yemen Aden Southern Yemen; now part of Yemen Yemen Sana North Yemen; now part of Yemen Zaire Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)