Public Access Computer-Assisted Mapping and the Instructional Program

The decline in published thematic mapping, especially U.S. government census mapping, the growing availability and affordability of computers, and the rise of geographic information systems have been important catalysts in moving map libraries toward the establishment of public access computer‐assisted mapping programs. Until recently, most computer‐assisted mapping systems were tied to large computers and required a significant degree of technical expertise. A program on computer‐assisted mapping at the Spring 1984 Western Association of Map Libraries meeting in Seattle found few examples of microcomputer‐based mapping systems and none that was really designed for direct public access. However, the past five years have seen the explosive growth of microcomputers and applications software, the rise of desktop publishing (and by extension desktop mapping), the development of large databases on CD‐ROM and their use in libraries, and increasing librarian familiarity with microcomputers. These technical advancements in combination with changes in data distribution have contributed to the recent rise of public access computer‐assisted mapping programs in academic libraries.