Editorial

We have reached the completion of volume thirteen of JMGL and in this issue you will find an eclectic selection of articles. Please enjoy reading and using each to your benefit. Leading the way, Jeremy Brett and Sierra Laddusaw share their ongoing work that stems from a unique group of cartographic resources forming the Maps of Imaginary Places Collection at the Cushing Memorial Library at Texas A&M University. They have built, and launched in February 2017, an ultra-successful exhibit using examples of “fantasy maps” from this collection. The “Worlds Imagined” exhibit at the Cushing Memorial Library has been so well received that the authors not only extended the timeframe for the exhibit but also created a touring version of it to allow those beyond the Texas A&M campus an opportunity to see and learn from it. In this article, they provide information about the Worlds Imagined exhibit and its content, and discovered new applications for the use of this unique map genre that enhances teaching applications in classes ranging from design and digital media to sociology to the more traditional aspects of history and visualization. Touring Fantasyland is not only an amazing story but also provides key new information related to map use for different audiences and how geographic fantasies play a strong and growing role in today’s social environment. We were delighted to receive a paper from beyond our typical North American/European group of authors, it is from Dr. Mohamed M. Yagoub, a faculty member from the Department of Geography and Urban Planning at the United Arab Emirates University. He writes about assessing the quality of GIS data in an open data environment. Here is research that is bound to strengthen the practical side of assessing GIS data techniques and applications. Assessment of OpenStreetMap Data: The Case of Abu Dhabi City, UAE is important due to its scope of geographic coverage as well as comparing quality mapping outcomes based on open data and government-derived data. This paper adds to the conversations about the need for high-quality geospatial data in particular as it applies to disaster response and recovery needs. An article from author Evan Thornberry, formerly a reference and geospatial research librarian at the Boston Public Library’s Leventhal Map Center, shares his experiences with research and reference service at a major public library with a prominent historical map collection, which offers some similarities and differences to the more often discussed research and