Editorial

Abstract

Many of our readers will be aware of efforts to “save” data. Data rescue events have cropped up at libraries across the US and Canada. Through these events, libraries are working to actively store federal data. These events also serve to create awareness of the fragile nature of data, and the roles that libraries have to obtain, organize, and preserve data of all types. Numerous collaborations have been created that seek near term and long term solutions, among them, Data Refuge1, Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe (LOCKSS)2, Preservation of Electronic Government information (PEGI)3, and Libraries + Network4. We encourage our readers to learn more, reach out to these and other like-minded groups, and to work together toward long term data preservation solutions. While the current issue isn’t about data rescue efforts directly, it is about continuing to grow scholarship centered on geospatial data and information. Issue two contains a range of diverse geospatial topics and from a wide range of locations as well. These international perspectives are among the strengths of the Journal of Map & Geography Libraries. Another strength is in the diversity of research that is presented, in this case from working with access to aerial photograph collections to descriptive cataloging to learning ways in which to help protect sensitive natural and cultural sites in our daily work. In Protected Places: A Survey of Laws on Archaeological Site and Cave Location Confidentiality and Their Potential Impact on Library Reference Policies and Services, Linda Zellmer shares her experiences with this littlediscussed but ethically driven aspect to map librarianship. This detailed article includes information about a range of federal and state laws in the United States pertaining to locations of natural and civilization resources and archaeological sites of historical and research value. Zellmer provides a set of recommendations for library staff that assist researchers who seek information about these special locations. This compilation of the legal history and present laws in this regard and their implications in a library setting may be the first of its kind. We hope that this research stimulates thought and action across the library community to everyone’s benefit. Another intriguing article in this issue is from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, focusing on discovery and access to aerial photographs. Tamar Ganor’s An Integrated Spatial Search Engine for Maps and Aerial Photographs on a Google Maps API Platform provides details into a unique spatial search application. This article also highlights a partnership between