Lost in the Stacks? There’s a Map for that!

Recent users of the University Libraries’ online catalog may notice a difference in search results when the law library and Davis library both have copies of the same book. The following screenshot shows an example of the difference in search results.

StackMap Implementation

In the Fall Semester of 2022, the law library began plans to implement the library-mapping software StackMap, and its implementation reached full fruition in the 2024 fall semester.

“StackMap is a digital platform for indoor mapping” (https://www.stackmap.io/proposal-toolkit). This description is a simplification of what StackMap does. StackMap uses resource data and floor plans provided by the law library to create a digital map of the library’s collection.

StackMap offers more than a map of the general location of print titles in the law library’s collection. The map, on its own, is not very useful. StackMap provides text which helps the user locate the approximate location.

The StackMap API, once it integrates with the library’s discovery layer, identifies the items which are part of the law library’s collection. Once it identifies these items, it confirms that there is mappable information and creates the MapIt button for the law library item. Using StackMap empowers the library users to explore the law library’s Stacks to find the items for which they are searching.

StackMap does more than map a library’s book collection. It can also assist library users to identify other resources they may need. The floor map includes designations for Study Carrels, restrooms, and stairs. On floors that have printers and scanners, the floor maps will include legends for those resources.

Challenges & Benefits of StackMap

The law library’s use of StackMap promises to open its collection to easier browsing. However, there are some caveats to keep in mind. First, the mapping result is an approximate location of the resource. The map merely narrows the search to a specific range on one of the law library’s floor; the pinned location does not represent the actual location of the print resource. Second, not all of the library’s collections are mapped. Some collections like the Rare Book collection or the Law Library Archives collection are closed stacks, so they are not open for general browsing.

In 1931, S. R. Ranganathan proposed five laws of library science. Among these laws are the recognitions that every reader searches for a book to read, that libraries should assist readers to find those books as easily as possible, and that libraries are growing organisms. The law library’s implementation of the StackMap software emphasizes the importance that Ranganathan’s laws have now, nearly a century after he proposed them.

So, if you’re having trouble finding that book, remember: There’s a Map for that!

Happy searching!