Betsy noted that most map records from thirty years ago would take up one screen. Today's records can run to four or five screens. The importance of some specific elements was discussed. Scale and measurement are important today if one is intending to scan the map. The flatbed scanner at LC, for example, is 24 x 36 inches, so the dimensions of a map can tell you how many scans will be required.
Many notes are important for the identification of an item.
Thirty years ago LC was one of the few institutions cataloging maps, and the only one sharing map cataloging records. Quoting numbers on a map is often very important for identification. It was noted that the dimensions of the sheet should only be recorded if at least one dimension is twice as large as the same dimension of the map. The complexities of map measurement were brought home to Kay Johnson when she tried to train students to measure maps, and wound up giving up on the idea. Kay wondered if other libraries were doing this.