The State of Map Librarianship: Shaping, Strengthening, and Sustaining the Future of the Profession
This special issue will focus on the current state of our profession and share perspectives on the future of the profession. This will be an opportunity to exchange ideas, address challenges, and identify potential collaborations that can strengthen our community. Your insights and participation will be invaluable in shaping the direction of our profession and ensuring its continued relevance.
We welcome proposals for all article types – reports, research articles, review articles and comments - that explore the vital role of collaboration and advocacy in securing the future of map libraries and collections. As artificial intelligence reshapes the information landscape, budgets tighten, and professional networks become more important than ever, we must work together to ensure our collections remain accessible, valued, and well-supported.
We seek proposals that address the following themes or other topics of interest to map librarianship:
Advocacy & Outreach – Strategies for demonstrating the enduring value of map libraries and collections to administrators, stakeholders, and the broader public.
Collaboration Across Borders – Successful partnerships between institutions, disciplines, and professionals that strengthen map collections and services.
Funding & Budget Realities – Creative approaches to sustaining and growing collections despite financial constraints.
Rebuilding Professional Connections – Strengthening our professional networks, mentoring early-career librarians, ongoing professional development and training the next generation of map/geospatial library professionals and fostering community in a changing world.
We welcome proposals from librarians, archivists, curators and other professionals working with maps and geospatial data.
Submission instructions can be found here: http://bit.ly/4nR8OaG