Geography resources at the

State Library of Victoria

GTAV Conference

Monday 16 August 2010Session 409: 9.20 – 10.20am

Bethany Leong, Education Programs Coordinator

• Introduction to the State Library of Victoria

• Map collection

• Electronic resources

• Onsite school programs

Session outline:

State Library of Victoria

• Victoria’s premier reference and research library, founded in 1854

• collections include: books, newspapers, artefacts, pictures, maps, and digital and online resources

• provides a range of information services, learning programs, events and exhibitions

Map collection

The SLV has over 110,00 maps in its collection

• most are Australian

• strong focus on Victorian content

• also contains strong holdings of maps from overseas Tabularum geographicarum contractorum libri quatuor,

by CJ Visscher, 1649

Maps are in various formats, the collection also includes geographical and cartographic reference books and atlases

Local features include:

• Township, parish and county maps produced by the former Victorian Lands Department (19th-century)

• Sewerage maps produced by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (late 19th century to the 1940s)

• Real estate auctioneers' plans

• Fire insurance plans produced by Mahlstedt and other companies

• Topographic maps from government agencies such as Land Victoria and GeoScience Australia

International features include:

• maps by the British Ordnance Survey

• city plans

• worldwide coverage of nautical charts

• 19th-century Indian maps

Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae navigationum,

by Joris van Spilbergen, 1619

More information:

• SLV Map collection

http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/our-collections/what-we-collect/maps

•SLV resource guides

http://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/index.php

Viewing materials onsite:

Most items in the Maps Collection can only be viewed by appointment

Copies of some maps (grouped by suburb) are in the Heritage Collections Reading Room in ‘suburban map bags’

No appointment is necessary to view these items

Melbourne and its suburbs, compiled by James Kearney, 1855

Viewing materials onsite:

If you want to view a map from in the collection, it must be retrieved by a librarian

Provide as much information about what you are looking for as possible

Most requests are taken over the phone or via email

If in doubt, talk to the librarians because they have extensive knowledge about the collections

Some examples from the collection:

Murray-Darling Basin

Maps of catchment area and rainfall zone; utilisation and waters information; uses, features, reservoirs, MDBC stores etc.

for:VCE Geography Unit 3Area of Study 1

Use and management of an Australian water resourceThis area of study focuses on water as a resource in Australia, with specific application to the region of the Murray-Darling Basin. Water is a critical resource on the Earth’s second driest continent. Students should understand the context of the debates over the variations in the supply, distribution and demand for water. In the regional context of the Murray-Darling Basin, the study focuses on the source, availability, distribution and utilisation of water (surface and/or ground water), and examines the dynamic nature of relationships and interactions between natural processes and human activities. Students study a variety of management responses and evaluate strategies designed to achieve sustainable development.

Murray-Darling Basin

MAPS 805.5 GB [2003]

Welcome to the Murray-Darling Basin

Murray-Darling Basin

MAPS 805 CDC 1902, Murray River Basin Map MAPS 805.5 GB [2003], Rainfall zone (600 – 800mm)

Murray-Darling Basin:

• Unfortunately, these maps have not yet been digitised

• Similar maps and posters are available from the Murray Darling Basin Commission (MBDC) site to download

• The SLV does not automatically get hard copies of these resources as the MDBC is in Canberra

• SLV collection maps are interesting though Show the changes in environmental conditions and management strategies over time (not all back issue publications are available from MDBC)

Online resources

• Onsite electronic resources

• Remote access resources- maps on the catalogue

- MMBW plans

- information databases

- ergo material

Onsite electronic resources: Workstation in the Rare Printed Collections area is used to access

• Australia Unfolded an interactive electronic atlas of Australia's natural and man made features

•Geology of Australia an introduction to earth sciences and a comprehensive illustrated guide to the geology of Australia

•Victoria from Space satellite imagery of Victoria, captured between January and April 1993

Remote access resources: Maps on the catalogue

Different tabs are to search for different item types

The search bar is just like a search engine on the web. Just type in what you’re looking for and click Go

http://search.slv.vic.gov.au

Remote access resources: MMBW planshttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/our-collections/what-we-collect/maps/melbourne-city-suburbs/mmbw-plans

Let’s use the plans to locate the State Library of Victoria

We could also find where we are now: Clifton’s Conference Centre 440 Collins Street Melbourne

Remote access resources: Information databaseshttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/explore/research-tools/access-eresources-home

Includes multi-subject databases (EBSCO, Informit Complete, General OneFile, JSTOR etc)

Also has subject specific resources like:

SAGE (Science and Geography in Education) 1990–

Remote access resources: Information databases and newspapershttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/explore/research-tools/access-eresources-home

Remote access to databases requires login using your surname and Library Card barcode

You can register for a Library Card online:

http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ services/join-library

Remote access resources: ergo materialhttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/

Information on study skills and SLV collection items that are linked to common curriculum areas at VELS level 5 & 6, and also VCE

- Learn skills

- Explore history

- For teachers

Remote access resources: ergo materialhttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/

The Learn skills section has information for students on Research, Essay writing and Study skills, including identifying bias and evaluating sources

Remote access resources: ergo materialhttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/

Explore history Land & exploration Environment

Environmental issues including:

Remote access resources: ergo materialhttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/

Explore history Land & exploration Environment Erosion

Banks of the Murray RiverState Rivers and Water Supply Commission photographer, circa 1930 - circa 1960.

Remote access resources: ergo materialhttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/

Explore history Land & exploration Exploration

Australian explorers including:

Remote access resources: ergo materialhttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/

Explore history Land & exploration Exploration Ernest Shackleton

Links to items like:

- Track of 'Aurora' Created circa 1914 - 1917, compiled by Andrew Keith Jack. Transparency: glass lantern slide (left)

- Camp on Great Ross Ice Barrier Created circa 1914 - circa 1917 by Alex Gunn, compiled by Andrew Keith Jack. Transparency: glass lantern slide

Explore history Gold

Road Guide to the Gold Fields published in Glass's Miner's companion for 1859.Chas. E. Glass Bookseller & Stationer Castlemaine, 1859

Explore history Gold

Mining districts of VictoriaBalliere's Victorian Atlas, 1866

Remote access resources: ergo materialhttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/

For teachers:

Ready-made education kits for topics like deforestation

High-res versions of all maps and images used available to download

Series of worksheets for evaluating information

Remote access resources: ergo materialhttp://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/

For teachers:

Worksheets include Map Study templates http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/uploads/docs/map_study.pdf

Remote access resources: The future:

• The Victorian Map Series project is currently underway

• The project will facilitate the Library's ongoing digitisation program

• It will provide access to 30,000 uncatalogued maps-in-series held in the Library's maps collection

Remote access resources: Some figures from the Victorian Map Series project

Maps include:

• 7500 Victorian parish and township maps on paper

• 5000+ Victorian parish and township maps on microfiche or aperture card

• Topographic and geological map series at different scales, versions and editions

• 3000+ Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works plans

• Aerial photo-maps

Remote access resources: Some figures from the Victorian Map Series project

Progress to date:

• 21,200 maps added to the catalogue

• 13,000+ maps surveyed and assessed by Preservation

• 700+ treated by conservation

The project is continuing today

Onsite school programs The Education team offer a number of onsite school programs

• Research skills

• The Hoddle Waddle

• My Early Melbourne

• Melbourne: the early days

For information, visit: http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/learn/book-school-visit

Contact details:

Bethany Leong,Education Programs Coordinator

Email: bleong@slv.vic.gov.auPhone: (03) 8664 7268

SLV website: http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/