Ligue des Bibliothèques Europeènnes de Recherche, Groupe des Cartot hécaires de LIBER

National progress report of Finland 1986-1988

1987 Project far cataloguing, indexing and information systems of cartographic materials
The main event in Finland in the field of Finnish mapcuratorship has been the 1987 Project for cataloguing, indexing and information systems of cartographic materials. The project started as a joint effort of the main map producer (National Board of Survey), the national library (Helsinki University Library), the Automation Unit of the Finnish Research Libraries and the Ministry of the Environment. The Projects' aim was to make a plan for cataloguing, indexing and in formation systems for cartographic materials. The Project published in the end of the year 1987 a report of its evaluations of existing cataloguing, classification and indexing systems for maps as well as retrieval systems. The Project made propositions, how and in what order the basic registration of cartographic materials in Finland should be started.

The Project bas continued its work this year. The second working period has started this autumn. The new ISBD standards have made a new edition of the Finnish cataloguing rules necessary. During this autumn the ISBD(CM) standard shall be translated and new cataloguing rules for cartographic materials edited. A working group has already made a collection of cataloguing examples for cartographic materials.

The Finnish National Bibliography
When the cataloguing rules are ready for publication it may be possible to start the cataloguing of maps for the Finnish National Bibliography at the Bibliographic Department of the Helsinki University Library. There has been no cataloguing of maps for the Finnish National Bibliography since 1977. Since 1977 legal deposit maps and charts have been stored unarranged in the Bibliographic Department. In the spring of 1988 the maps where roughly arranged so that the cataloguing can be started.

The A.E. Nordenskiöld Collection in the Helsinki University Library
The 4th volume of the catalogue for the A. E. Nordenskiöld Collection in the Helsinki University Library is forthcoming, the 5th volume is in preparation.

The Automation Unit of the Finnish research libraries
The Automation Unit of the Finnish Research Libraries has acquired a new library system for Finnish university libraries this year. The system is VTLS, Virginia Tech Library System. This and the new edition of the cataloguing rules will make it necessary to check the Finnish marc format, FINMARC and compile a format for cartographic materials.

National Board of Survey
The Finnish National Board of Survey published its plan for the years 1987-2000 in 1987. The plan is called Map 2000. The overall objective of the mapping activities is to provide map data, in both graphical and digital form, sufficient for the essential needs of society.

Pirkko Kortinnen, Helsinki University Library

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