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National Progress Report for The Netherlands 1984-1986

Jan Smits

© LIBER and author
Published from: LIBER news sheet, 19/20 (1987)

Dutch Union Map Catalogue (DUMC)
During the 4th LIBER GdC-conference in Holland participants have been acquainted with the DUMC- and PICA-systems for online-processing of bibliographic records of cartographic materials. It was under evaluation whether the DUMC-system could be incorporated in the PICA-system. In November 1984 this evaluation took place by members of the NSIDK (Dutch Foundation of Information and Documentation of Cartography). All members, except the representatives of the Royal Library and the University of Leiden, dis-associated themselves from the PICA-format for cartographic materials and so reported to the NOBIN (Dutch Organisation for the Promotion of Information Services). In the report of the NOBIN to the Secretary of Education and Science were cited some of the objections voiced by the NSIDK:
  1. The PICA-format was not conform the Dutch ISBD(CM)
  2. There was no output on COM-fiche
  3. There was no special search-key for cartographic materials, as search-keys for book materials were inadequate
Also the Dutch Cartographic Society had objected to the transfer of the DUMC-system. Resulting from this the NOBIN advised the Secretary that the DUMC would resort again under the NSIDK, that it would have an independent database and programme-development (for which it would need a mini-computer) and that it would create a dedicated online system which would be evaluated in 1990. To finance this operation the Ministry had to make available about Dfl. 1,1200,000 (excluding 2 employees). Appended to this advice was a note of the Dean of the Geographical Institute of the State University Utrecht which stated that they would be pleased to cooperate with the DUMC within the institute's programmes for Geographical information systems (GIS), Interactive Cartographic System (IKS) and Interactive Cartographic Retrieval System (IKZ).
After some deliberations the Secretary for Education and Science decided on the 10th of October 1985 to follow the advice of the NOBIH all the way. However, in the meantime the PICA-Office will keep upgrading their format for cartographic materials. This means there is more than one central system for automated processing of cartographic bibliographic records.
Since the last conference the Working Group for Mapcuratorship of the Dutch Cartographic Society (WK) has organized 4 study days with the topics: Maps and archives
In spite of slimming-down operations of the state the amount of schooled archivists, who are charged with the care of maps, drawings and prints with state and municipal archives, increased.
The archive-world started, in cooperation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, with programmes concerning automated access of archives on micro- and macro-level. At this moment the description and inventory system MAIS (Micro Archives Inventory System) has reached the operational level. In relation to this the General State Archives (ARA) adapted terminology for maps and drawings in such a way that they fit within the 'format' of the other records. The map archives of several big state services like the Land Registry Office, the Hydrographic Service and the Topographical Survey, were transferred to the State Archives.
For users it was important that the multi-volume work Overzichten van de archieven en verzamelingen in de openbare archiefbewaarplaatsen in Nederland (l2 parts published till now by Samson in Alphen aan den Rijn 1979- ...) was almost completed. The increasing use of large scale cartographic materia1s for historical research caused the publication of the first Land registry-surveys from ca. 1830 and military topographical maps from the period 1770-1830. Besides many archives have started on photo- and/or micro-filming their holdings. The substitute-filming will result in 1987 in the first microfiche publication of maps and drawings of overseas territories from before 1813.

History of cartography
In 1985 the Dutch Cartographic Society accepted the invitation of the International Society for the History of Cartography 'Imago Mundi' to organilze its XIIIth conference in 1989. The organization of this conference will add greatly to the already high work load of the main map collections.

Education for mapcurators
In 1985 the 200-hours speclalisation course "'Mp and Atlas Management', which was organized by the Tiele Library Academy in cooperation with the State School for Archives and the Geographical Institute of the State University Utrecht, unfortunately was discontinued. However, the GO (Foundation for Collective Schooling for Archive, Library, Documentation and Information Processing) in cooperation with many organisations concerned with schooling and cartography, has organised a new 125-hour course which starts in February 1987. This course is mainly meant for mapcurators-in-office.

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