Frank Wihbey  
Head, Government Publications, Maps, GIS & Microforms Department;  
Spatial & Numeric Data Librarian  

 This librarian's roles here...

• Manage a busy department that: 
  • selects, acquires, processes, houses and provides public services for a collection of over 2.3 million government publications of the U.S. federal and Canadian federal and provincial governments, and Agricultural Experiment Station publications of the fifty states; 
  • organizes and provides reader services for a microform collection numbering over 2.5 million pieces;
  • serves as the Library's map department with over 93,000 sheet maps, many nautical charts, atlases and globes, and a full spatial/GIS and numeric data service: GeoStats.
• Serve the public directly several hours a week at the Library's Reference Desk, instruct a series of computer mapping workshops, and answer users' questions by letter, phone and e-mail.
• Participate in the Library's interdepartmental councils that help us plan how we will respond to the rapid changes in the library field, and maintain our leadership in information services, and in some campus committees and off-campus organizations.
• Select library materials in support of research in government publications and non-depository documents to supplement those received in the depository programs, and suggest related materials for the Reference and Science Reference collections.

 About this librarian...

• Joined the Fogler Library staff in May of 1978, having moved with family to Maine, to become the Reference Librarian for Science (which had just been established as a full-time position here at Fogler Library, University of Maine.) 
• Was appointed as Head of the Government Documents Department October, 1982.  The Department was expanded in 1986 to include the former Microforms unit, and in 2000 began the GeoStats (formerly GeoScan) Spatial and Numeric Data Service.
• Prior to coming to the University of Maine was: Catalog Librarian at Fairfield University Library, having become interested in the library profession through a job as Desk Attendant, Yale Art and Architecture Library, July-September, 1973, and subsequently Circulation Supervisor Oct., 1973- March, 1974.  Was promoted to Library Specialist, Yale Divinity Library, March,1974-June, 1976
• Attended Southern Connecticut State University graduate school September, 1974-May, 1976 to earn Master's degree in Library Science.
• With some employment in the private sector, have worked in education nearly continuously for forty years, including teaching full and part-time in secondary and higher education institutions. 
• Have practical experience in computer programming and applications; and maintain an interest in the natural sciences, French language and culture, maps and GIS, and Canadian studies.

 This librarian's areas of concentration or expertise...

• Government publications -- especially U.S. federal
• Foreign national government publications, especially of the Canadian federal and provincial governments
• Intergovernmental and international organization publications, e.g. United Nations
• Bibliographic retrieval of natural science and social science literature
• Climate and weather data
• Macintosh systems
• Maps
• Microform collections and equipment
• Spatial and numeric data
• Tri-State Regional Document Depository
• United States Census data
• Web page design, preparation and maintenance

 Education

• B.A. in French, physics minor from the University of Connecticut (May, 1967)
• M.L.S. from the School of Library Science and Information Technology at Southern Connecticut State University ( (May, 1976)
• M.B.A. (graduate credit earned, but incomplete) University of Maine.

Organizational participation - Library related organizations

American Library Association (January, 1985-December, 1987) Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) "State and Affiliates" column correspondent for Maine, Documents to the People (DTTP) (May, 1983-December, 1987), National Action Alert Network (NAAN) Maine Alternate Contact (ca. May, 1986-December, 1987); Association of College and Research Libraries, New England Chapter (January, 1979-December, 1985); Government Publications Librarians of New England (formerly NELINET Government Documents Task Group) (May, 1983- ) Designed and conducted survey of New England libraries and compiled data on automation in treatment of government documents (June, 1984-April, 1985), ALA/GODORT Maine Liaison (May, 1983- June, 1989) Annual Conference Program Committee, Co-Chair (October, 1986-March, 1987); Maine Census Data Center Advisory Council, Member (May, 1982-1996), Chair (June, 1986-June, 1989); Maine Federal Document Depository System State Plan Task Force (November, 1982-December, 1983); Maine Library Association (October, 1978-December, 1993), Special Libraries Group, founding member (June, 1979-December, 1993), -- Nominating Committee (February-March, 1980), Online Users Committee (subsequently the MAINEON Committee), Chair (June, 1980-May, 1983), Government Documents Section, Member (October, 1981-December, 1993), -- Chair (May, 1983-May, 1984), -- Immediate Past Chair (May, 1984-May, 1985), -- Planning Board (May, 1983-May, 1985) Major activities included planning spring and fall Section conferences, -- Nominating Committee, Chair (April, 1984-April, 1985), Maine Academic and Research Libraries Section (January, 1983-December, 1993), Executive Council (May, 1983-May, 1984), MLA/MEMA Annual Conference Program Planning Committee (May, 1983-May, 1984); Maine Online Users Group (MAINEON), cofounder, member (June, 1980-December, 1993); U.S. Government Printing Office, Library Programs Service: Ad Hoc Regional Librarians Committee on Superseded Documents (October, 1986-August, 1987);  University of Maine System. Mariner Digital Library Committee. Government Information Task Force (Chair, January, 1997-May, 1999)

- Non-library affiliated organizations

Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association (October, 2001-2002); Appalachian Mountain Club (January, 1993-1998); Apple Library Users Group (May, 1987-May, 1997); Apple Programmers and Developers Association (May, 1989-May, 1997); Boston Computer Society (July, 1987-June, 1989); Chamber Choir at St. John's Parish (September, 1998- ); Green Mountain Club (January- December, 2000); International Appalachian Trail/Sentier international des Appalaches Maine Chapter (October, 1996- ), Board of  Directors member (November, 1998-December 2005); International Board, delegate (May, 2000- );  International Dark-Sky Association (November, 1992-October,1997); Maine Appalachian Trail Club (May, 1996- ), AT Maintainer (May, 1998- ); Maine Audubon (January, 1989- December, 2006); Penobscot Valley Chapter (January, 1989-2006), Fields Pond Nature Center Stewardship Committee (September, 1997-2001), Chair, (September, 1997-May, 1999), webmaster (September, 1997-2006); Maine Entomological Society (January, 1997-2003); Maine GIS User Group (January, 2003- ); Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance (January, 2002- ); Marsh Island Macintoshers (September, 1988-May, 1989); New Renaissance Singers -- a Bangor, Maine-based community choral group (January, 1992-September, 1999), Board of Directors (October, 1993-September, 1999), Co-Chair (October, 1997-April, 1998), Chair (June, 1994-September, 1995; May, 1998-May, 1999);  University of Maine Oratorio Society (September, 1987-))