Cheyenne recently agreed to manage the Map and Geographic Information Center resources in the Centennial Science and Engineering Library. 
How did you get interested in the library's map holdings?
I have always had an interest in maps! They have so many purposes: art, navigation, history, public health. When I moved to Pittsburgh for my MLIS in Archives, there was a large project at Pitt, and I believe it is still ongoing, regarding preserving underground mine maps for the safety of coal miners, the public and the environment. At the time, they were preserving these maps and our class learned about the project from the preservation perspective. After graduation, I started working for the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency (JPRA) library and archives outside of Washington D.C. where we had collections of Escape and Evasion maps and charts from World War II, hand drawn maps from POW camps in Vietnam as well as other more modern evasion charts that could be used as protection. They also provided information on local plants and animals as well as navigational elements for escape and evasion attempts. So, when we decided to move back to New Mexico, I was really excited to hear about MAGIC. Mary Wyant was so helpful in showing me around the maps and asking me to help her with coverage when she was out.
What's your favorite thing about the maps so far?
The diversity that is included in a map. Many often think that maps can only be used for geography and travel, but there are so many more types of maps that we hold in MAGIC that can be used for many subjects of study. I am a history nerd, so seeing the history stories maps tell is also fascinating to me. We have a very large collection that includes: Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, USGS topographical and geologic maps, aerial photos, nautical charts, BLM land status, CIA, atlases, gazetteers, globes--the list goes on.
Are the maps popular? Who uses them, and what do they use them for?
The maps are popular, but we’re working on a way to provide more outreach. We do have a loyal set of community users, either for personal or professional reasons. Some like to research railroads, some are researching their properties for City building permits, some want to see the history of their neighborhoods, etc. This summer we had a number of people ask to see if their property had a driveway or garage that was built before 1973 to prove a case to the City. These can usually be found with our aerial photo collection or plat maps. Larry Barker also contacted us for neighborhood maps to use in a recent investigative report titled “Albuquerque’s dirty little secret.”
We’ve heard a little about some planned changes for MAGIC -- what do you see happening in the early part of 2021? What might be happening later?
Right now, the plan is to continue providing services for MAGIC, but its ultimate future will be in the hands of a team consisting of Todd Quinn, myself, Monica Dorame, Joe Lane, Karl Benedict, and Tomas Jaehn.
Do you have dreams or visions for the map collection? Any project ideas?
Yes! This is an amazing collection and it could be so helpful for so many things. I would love to get some of the maps digitized. This would help in allowing better accessibility to the collection, but it will also help for preservation purposes. This is also very timely considering how we’ve had to operate during the pandemic. In the same vein, it would be amazing to have a virtual tour for MAGIC on the website. This way people can see what and how the collection is laid out, check out what’s in some of the drawers, see that we have atlases and gazetteers, see our large format scanners and other amazing materials! Another thing that has taken off in the mapping community is story mapping. This is where you combine your maps with narrative text, images, and multimedia content to tell a story. It can be used for any subject and with other resources found in our libraries. However, to make any of this work, I’ll need help from the Map Team as well as others from our College.
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