Evaluation of a Geographical Source - LIBE 467

 

Introduction:

“A good reference is one that serves to answer questions…” (Rielding, 2019 pg. 23) When we consider geographical sources, these reference materials are usually used to answer questions. The subject of geography is usually split between two broad categories: Physical geography and human geography, for the purposes of this report, we will be discussing references related to physical geography. The materials related to physical geography are maps, atlases, gazetteers, etc. This report will discuss the evaluation of a set of maps at our local library. This library is a branch of the Fraser Valley Regional Library which has 25 library locations. For the purpose of this assignment I am purely evaluating a resource at this specific branch. Maps fall under the category of geographical reference sources. Evaluation of a geographical source requires several points of criteria as outlined in Reidling’s book, as well as ones suggested by Focused Resources, and the modules from our course.

Part 1 The Evaluation:

“The evaluation of any library collection, including a school library collection, should be based upon how well the collection serves the needs of its users” (Mardis, 2021 pg 175) While we are not evaluating an entire collection in this instance, the point that Mardis is making still stands. Effective evaluation of reference sources allows librarians to select and keep resources that will support the needs of learners and make informed decisions on selecting new resources for the collection. Evaluation for purchase allows librarians to get the best value for the money and make decisions for their collection that will create high quality collections.

The rubric below was designed after consulting various guides and books, so that the user can see where a resource falls in terms of a variety of criteria. The resource selected was evaluated in nine different areas:

Authority

Scale

Currency

Indexing

Format

Relevance

Purpose

Curricular Connections

Use of Space

The Resource:

The resource chosen to be evaluated is a collection of maps. The section in the library consisted of folded road maps as well as big table sized maps of various types. See figures below:

 

The Evaluation Rubric:

Criteria	Not Meeting	Meeting	Exceeding
Authority What is the reputation of the publisher/author?	Resource is not from a reputable/reliable resource or is unknown.	Resource is from lesser known company/publisher but can still be considered reputable. May be from a local community company	Resource is from a reputable or reliable source/organization that is well known for creating those types of resources and lists contributors.
Scale How much information is shown on the map? Is there a scale so that the reader can accurately identify items on the map?	Little to no information is displayed on map. There is no scale visible or identified. May be outdated.	A scale is identified. May be slightly outdated, or slightly inaccurate.	Resource identifies the scale, and give accurate comparisons. There is lots of information included.
Currency How old is the current material? Is the content up to date?	Resource is 10 + years old. Has had no revisions.	Resource is up to date Minimum less than 5 years old, maximum 10 years old.	Resource is up to date and is updated frequently to include new information.
Indexing Is the main text/content adequately complemented by indexes/cross references, etc.	No index is present.	Includes an index. May not be alphabetized or include extra features.	Full alphabetical list of all place names that appear on the map, reference to map, includes: longitude, latitude, and grid information. May also include national parks, mountains and historical sites. Includes as many features as possible.
Format How is the information organized or presented? Does this resource support student learning? Is it useful to the user?	Resource is difficult to read. May be unclear or illegible. Resource is not high quality, or user-friendly.  There is little to no information.	Resource is relatively easy to access and is legible and clear. Resource may have too much information or not enough.	Provides information efficiently. Clear and legible, user friendly. Resource is selected by need and by relative cost.
Relevance Does the information reflect student interests? Is it the type of information needed?	Information is not relevant, inaccurate, and doesn’t not meet needs of students	Information is mostly relevant, accurate and needed. Some parts may be missing or incomplete.	Meets the information need and interest of the students. Information is relevant, accurate, and needed.
Purpose For whom is this intended? Is the information accessible?	Does not provide a good starting point. Inadequate information for the subject, information is presented in an unclear and confusing way.	Information is appropriate for the task. It is relatively organized.	Information meets the needs of the student, the information is accessible, clear, organized and meaningful.
Curricular Connection Does the resource support the philosophy, pedagogy, rationale and goals of the BC curriculum?	Resource does not or barely links to current curriculum.	Resource links to curriculum but may be slightly outdated or inaccurate.	Resource connects and supports the current curriculum and may make cross curricular connections.
Use of Space Does it efficiently use space in the library? Is it accessible to all learners?	Takes a large amount of space up in the library, is difficult to access for students with needs.	Takes up minimal amount of space. The resource can be accessed by most students.	Resource use its space efficiently and is accessible to all learners.

 

Analysis:

Authority: Exceeding Most of the resources here are from reliable and trusted organizations or publishers. Most of the maps here are from Environment Canada, Energy, Mining and Resources Canada, NRCan Topographic Maps, and Rand McNally.  

Scale: Meeting/Exceeding Most of the resources have a scale on the map, some of them do include information to help the reader identify what is on the map. Only a few of the maps contained only a scale and no other information.

Currency: Not Meeting Resources are all older than 10 years. Very few are revised editions, and many are undated.  

Indexing: Not Meeting/ Meeting Some of the map books include indexes as well as cross references. Most of the single sheet maps do not include an index.

Format: Not Meeting/ Meeting The resources are not organized; many are low quality. A select few are legible and clear. The maps themselves are easy to access, being all housed in one shelving unit.

Relevance: Not Meeting Information in these resources is barely relevant. Some maps have information that is accurate due to lack of change in the community or of that specific geographical area, however, because most of the maps are outdated or incomplete it is not considered a relevant resource that can meet the needs of most students.

Purpose: Not Meeting /MeetingThese resources may provide a very basic starting point, but because it is not current or relevant, the information is not accessible. The large variety of different maps allows for a good basic view or jumping off point, but it cannot provide enough information to meet the need.

Curricular Connections: Not Meeting This resource has some small connections to the current curriculum. Science 3 includes a large portion of content around local landforms, changes in environment and biodiversity. The maps can show some of those aspects, but again, due to the slight inaccuracy because of currency, it is not an ideal resource for curricular connections.  

Use of Space: Meeting The use of space in the library is minimal. All maps are housed in one shelving unit on the main floor of the library. The maps are accessible by most patrons with the exceptions to those with visual impairments.  

 

Part 2: Potential Replacement Resources

A "collection of maps should include maps of various sizes to meet the different needs of individuals and groups” (Mardis, 2021 pg. 108) There are some disadvantages here when reflecting on what a collection of maps should have according to Mardis. Having many types of maps, sizes and needing them to stay up to date presents a cost and maintenance challenge for libraries and librarians. When considered the best resource to replace the current maps that are in place at this library, I would say digital is the most optimal. Ideally providing a computer or piece of technology to be able to access maps and globes online would eliminate the need for constant updating and relevancy issues. In understanding that providing the same resource in digital format may also create some accessibility issues, especially for those who struggle with technology, or requiring a log in system, overall, the benefits would outweigh the disadvantages.

The current collection of maps are from a variety of publishing companies and include both local maps and worldwide, picking one resource to potentially replace the collection was not feasible as there are too many types of maps and too many varied locations for one single company, website or organisation to have. Instead, I have picked a resource that will greatly aid in helping replace the collection. 

 

https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/imap4m/

Criteria	Not Meeting	Meeting	Exceeding
Authority What is the reputation of the publisher/author?	Resource is not from a reputable/reliable resource or is unknown.	Resource is from lesser-known company/publisher but can still be considered reputable. May be from a local community company	Resource is from a reputable or reliable source/organization that is well known for creating those types of resources and lists contributors.
Scale How much information is shown on the map? Is there a scale so that the reader can accurately identify items on the map?	Little to no information is displayed on map. There is no scale visible or identified. May be outdated.	A scale is identified. May be slightly outdated, or slightly inaccurate.	Resource identifies the scale and give accurate comparisons. There is lots of information included.
Currency How old is the current material? Is the content up to date?	Resource is 10 + years old. Has had no revisions.	Resource is up to date Minimum less than 5 years old, maximum 10 years old.	Resource is up to date and is updated frequently to include new information.
Indexing Is the main text/content adequately complemented by indexes/cross references, etc.	No index is present.	Includes an index. May not be alphabetized or include extra features.	Full alphabetical list of all place names that appear on the map, reference to map, includes: longitude, latitude, and grid information. May also include national parks, mountains and historical sites. Includes as many features as possible.
Format How is the information organized or presented? Does this resource support student learning? Is it useful to the user?	Resource is difficult to read. May be unclear or illegible. Resource is not high quality, or user-friendly.  There is little to no information.	Resource is relatively easy to access and is legible and clear. Resource may have too much information or not enough.	Provides information efficiently. Clear and legible, user friendly. Resource is selected by need and by relative cost.
Relevance Does the information reflect student interests? Is it the type of information needed?	Information is not relevant, inaccurate, and doesn’t not meet needs of students	Information is mostly relevant, accurate and needed. Some parts may be missing or incomplete.	Meets the information need and interest of the students. Information is relevant, accurate, and needed.
Purpose For whom is this intended? Is the information accessible?	Does not provide a good starting point. Inadequate information for the subject, information is presented in an unclear and confusing way.	Information is appropriate for the task. It is relatively organized.	Information meets the needs of the student, the information is accessible, clear, organized and meaningful.
Curricular Connection Does the resource support the philosophy, pedagogy, rationale and goals of the BC curriculum?	Resource does not link to current curriculum.	Resource links to curriculum but may be slightly outdated or inaccurate.	Resource connects and supports the current curriculum and may make cross curricular connections.
Use of Space Does it efficiently use space in the library? Is it accessible to all learners?	Takes a large amount of space up in the library, is difficult to access for students with needs.	Takes up minimal amount of space. The resource can be accessed by most students.	Resource use its space efficiently and is accessible to all learners.

 

Analysis:

Authority: Exceeding

Resource created by the BC government and other public sector agencies. This website is a reliable and reputable source of information.

Scale: Exceeding

This digital tool allows users to select various scales for the map. There are also possibilities to add other pieces of information to the map.

Currency: Exceeding

This resource is a current source of information, which means any time users use this resource they are receiving the most up to date information.

Indexing: Exceeding

The user has the option of selecting to make all place names appear on the map or find the location on the map by clicking the name. The user can add layers to the map to include other options such as parks, first nations reserve, historical sites, etc.

Format: Meeting

Resource has a little bit of a learning curve to figure out how to use the tools. I would not say it is user friendly or intuitive at first. There is a lot of information presented on this site. This may be difficult for students to use, and more suited for a technology literate adult to use.  

Relevance: Exceeding

This resource meets the needs of any user needing map services. It is relevant, and accurate.

Purpose: Exceeding

This site is intended for adults who are familiar with digital web mapping tools. The information is clear, organized, and because of the various options that can be selected it is meaningful. The accessibility is relatively easy, with a minor flaw in that those who are not comfortable in using web tools, may find it difficult to navigate.

Curricular Connections: Exceeding

Resource connects and supports the current curriculum.

Use of Space: Exceeding

Resource uses its space efficiently and is accessible to most learners. The webtool allows access from any piece of technology that allows an internet connection. This resource would take up a small physical amount of space in the library and no extra physical space in the collection.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, because of the importance of relevancy and currency for maps, I feel that a digital system for maps would be far more beneficial to the library and its users. The current collection of maps are very outdated, and irrelevant causing it to take up space in the library and have very little use from patrons.

 

References

"Evaluation Checklist - National School Library Standards". National School Library Standards, https://standards.aasl.org/project/evaluation/.

"Evaluation Criteria Guides". Focused Education, https://focusedresources.ca/en/evaluation-criteria-guides.

"Imapbc - Province Of British Columbia". Www2.Gov.Bc.Ca, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/data/geographic-data-services/web-based-mapping/imapbc.

Mardis, Marcia A. The Collection Program In Schools. 7th ed., Libraries Unlimited, 2021.

Oxley, Kristy. "Lesson 3: Building A Reference Collection For Your School Library". 2022.

Riedling, Ann Marlow, and Cynthia Houston. Reference Skills For The School Librarian. 4th ed., Libraries Unlimited, 2019.