One huge find has been the GLO Map Collection. If I do a search of the GLO Map Collection for Robertson County using the URL at the top of this page, I get a listing of 17 maps with online images (see GLO Online Map Index For Robertson County). I can click on a small image for each of the 17 maps to reveal an even larger image. BUT, HERE'S THE PROBLEM. Once I click the small image and obtain the larger image, both images are UNREADABLE online. I've spoken with two different people at GLO (including the online map program's director) who tell me that the reason for this is that GLO's web server and budget don't allow them to provide access to the needed high resolution images (although these images have been created in a higher resolution format). This is tragic since some of the images for Robertson County include important land ownership information that's currently nothing more than a blur of smudged black ink. GLO's approach is to give people a glimpse of what's there so they can then purchase a paper copy of the maps that they wish to view more closely.

While GLO is perfectly willing to allow you to purchase paper copies of the maps in its collection for $20 or $40 (depending on size), they are unwilling to sell map image files on computer disk to the general public for fear GLO will lose control over how they are used or out of concern that the images themselves might be altered. I can understand these concerns (although GLO loses control over the information once they've sold a paper map as well since paper maps can be scanned/digitized and placed online). While GLO's long-range plan is to have all of its maps online in high resolution format, this may be a long time coming since the state is having budget problems and there's a Land Commissioner election this fall. In light of this, I'm interested in exploring creative solutions to bringing these maps online in a readable format in the near term.

Possible resolutions to this dilemma include the following:

• One very viable solution would be for GLO to select regional repository libraries for its online maps in the same fashion that the State of Texas has sent vital statistics and other microfilm/microfiche information to major university libraries in close geographic proximity to local counties. For Robertson County, GLO could make its high resolution map files available to Texas A&M University's Digital Library for online display. Assuming TAMU is willing to do this and has the needed server space, this could relieve budget and other pressures on GLO;
• Another solution would be for GLO to GIVE copies of these high resolution images to the USGenWeb's Texas Digital Map Library at www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/maps/texas for online display. None of the counties I clicked on at the Texas Digital Map site had any maps. What a great way to share this valuable information; &
• GLO could make its high resolution map files available to local libraries like the Genealogy Collection of the Carnegie Center of Brazos Valley History in Bryan. This local library has been spending money trying to purchase every paper map in GLO's collection for Brazos and neighboring counties (including Robertson). Why not give or sell these local libraries computer image files instead and let them post them on their websites?

All three of these solutions are designed to respond to GLO's concerns about losing control over the images and possibly having someone alter these images while at the same time creating a controlled environment in which the valuable information on these maps could be shared with interested researchers.

Are their other more immediate solutions that might be utilized? Someone can always go to the GLO website, look at the blurred images, then, if they see something they like, purchase a paper copy of the image, then have it scanned/digitized, then place it online. But this will likely cost upwards of $60 to $75 per map to accomplish (as my Map Sponsorship Opportunities cost figures above reflect). One other possible solution is to copy the images from the GLO website and somehow manipulate them with a computer so they can be viewed and read at high resolution levels. I've experimented with this last approach several times and have been entirely unsuccessful in this endeavor. I just get bigger versions of even blurrier images. If this could be done, it should be entirely permissible since these GLO images were created at state expense and have been placed in the public domain. If anybody knows how to do this or has any other creative solutions to this problem, please let me know.

William Kent Brunette
Robertson County TXGenWeb Volunteer Coordinator