Cartographic Textbook Writing in the Digital Age: Lessons Learned from Map Use, Ninth Edition

Map Use: ninth edition, is a comprehensive, foundational textbook designed for the college curriculum to provide students with the knowledge and skills to read and understand maps, design and make maps, and recognize the limitations and inaccuracies of maps.Map Use describes foundational cartographic concepts along with the latest innovations in mapmaking and map use.It presents nascent mapmakers with a broad overview of mapping and professional cartographers with a thorough reference resource.The book combines authoritative text with hundreds of stunning visuals.Over 300 full-color maps, photographs, and graphs illustrate the concepts behind communicating with maps.The book renders basic cartographic principles accessible to all, from those without a formal education in geography, to students of cartography and map design, to seasoned mapping practitioners.Map Use, ninth edition also exemplifies the latest approaches in textbook creation, including the use of collaborative authoring tools and the production of an interactive digital textbook, complete with accessibility features.In this paper, we consider the making of Map Use, focusing on innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity, which reflect cartographic textbook writing in the digital age. Innovation:The philosophy underlying the ninth edition Map Use remains the same as in earlier editions.We stress that a good map user must understand, at a basic level, what goes into the making of a map.From mapmakers, we ask for little less than a miracle.We expect the overwhelming detail, complexity, and size of our surroundings to be reduced to a simple representation that is convenient to access.We also want abstract maps to provide us with a meaningful basis for relating to the real environment.In return, we must make a corresponding effort to become educated map users.While this philosophy has remained the same for all nine editions of the text over the past 50 years, many aspects of mapmaking and map use have evolved, largely in response to technological advances.When Map Use was first published in 1978, very little mapping was done in a computer environment.Today, not only is most mapping done with the aid of computers, but the map user is often the one who guides the mapping process.Especially with the aid of geographic information system (GIS) software and applications, the map user is increasingly the mapmaker.Even more significant, the map user can establish insightful dialogues with maps by manipulating the digital data in various ways.The ability to think and communicate visually through the medium of maps is more important than ever, and Map Use aims to enhance this ability in a broad range of users.In the latest edition of Map Use, we cover the most recent innovations in map making and map use.In this paper, we also acknowledge the impact of innovation on the creation process to bring the ninth edition to life.Electronic collaboration, or eCollaboration, allowed us to use digital technologies and platforms to facilitate collaboration and communication among the textbook authors, editors, and Esri press partners working on this edition of the textbook.Online tools and resources enhanced our teamwork, coordination, and information sharing in a virtual environment.We conducted meetings, held discussions, and brainstormed through video conferencing and digital communication, such as email.eCollaboration also facilitated sharing and collaborating on documents and files in real-time using cloud storage services, specifically SharePoint to manage and share files, and collaborative editing tools, like Microsoft 365 Online to edit and share Word and Excel files on our own devices using a web browser.