AGS Library Staff Members

From left to right: Angie Cope, Jovanka Ristic, Kay Guildner, Susan Peschel, Tom Brittnacher, Chris Baruth, Ann Barnish, Cristina Miller

Professional Staff

Christopher Baruth, Curator

Angie Cope, Cataloging & Collection Development Librarian

Susan Peschel, Visual Resources Librarian

Jovanka Ristic, Reference Librarian

Support Staff

Ann Barnish, Preservation

Kay Guildner, Library Services Assistant

Cristina Miller, Photo and CGP Assistant

Student Assistants

Meagan Duever, Graduate student, Library and Information Science
Sarah Duffeck, Graduate student, Anthropology
Allison Neuman, Undergraduate student, Accounting
Sarah Lill, GIS Certificate student
Anne Reis, PhD student, Biological Sciences
Chris Skorlinski, Graduate student, Library and Information Science
Margaret Pettygrove , Graduate Student, Geography

AGSL Staff Member Biographies

Christopher Baruth
Christopher Baruth is the Curator of the American Geographical Society Library of the Golda Meir Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has been with the AGS Library, originally as Map and Imagery Librarian, since 1980.

Chris holds a B.S. in Geography and History and an M.A. in Library Science, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His dissertation, directed by Brian Harley, was on the beginnings of the United States Lake Survey, 1841-1856.

In 1985 he computerized the bibliographic journal Current Geographical Publications which has been published by the Library since 1938. In 1996, as the executive editor, he created Internet access to the current issue, and now provides an online bibliography of all entries since 1985. In 1988, Chris published GEODEX: GEOgraphic InDEX System for Map Series, a computerized system to provide for inventory and access to map series. Using this system the AGSL has been able to build one of the largest automated cartobibliographies in the world with over 350,000 total entries in the system. He was also involved in the design and implementation of a federally funded project to produce a videodisc on mapping: Maps from the American Geographical Society Library, under the direction of Professor Sona K. Andrews (1996). His most recent contribution to the literature is the chapter, "Old maps in a modern world," in The Map Library in the New Millennium, edited by Bob Parry and Chris Perkins (2001).

Chris has been involved with the Geography and Map Division of Special Libraries Association since 1982, chairing the committee that published Standards for University Map Collections (1987), and serving as Division Program Planner/Acting Chair and Chair, 1987-1988. He organized the Congress of Cartographic Information Specialists Associations (CCISA), 1988, and served as co-chair of the program committee for "The Map Library in Transition," a conference sponsored jointly by the CCISA and Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress in 1993. He was the Executive Director of the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) from 1990 to 2001, and is currently a member of the Standing Committee for Geography and Map Libraries of IFLA for the 1999-2003 term. Since 1997, he has acted as custodian of the archives of the Association of American Geographers (AAG).

In 1993, Chris was presented with the Honors Award, for Outstanding Achievement by the Geography and Map Division of Special Libraries Association, and in 2001, the Honors Award by the Map and Geography Round Table of the American Library Association. He holds memberships in SLA, NACIS, AAG, AGS, Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives and the Map Society of Wisconsin. Chris Baruth can be reached at cmb@uwm.edu.

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Angie Cope
Angie Cope joined the AGS Library staff in September 2002. She performs original and copy cataloging of maps, atlases, globes and digital spatial data as well as supervises student cataloging assistants. While cataloging is Angie's primary responsibility, she is also responsible for collection development and assists with reference services, webpage maintenance, offers outreach opportunities to the campus community and serves on library and campus committees.

Angie is an editor for the Cartographic Collections column of Cartographic Perspectives, the journal of the North American Cartographic Information Society. Angie is on the Coordinates Editorial Board - the online journal of the American Library Association Map and Geography Round Table. Since 2005 Angie has served as the moderator of the popular map librarian discussion list MAPS-L.

Angie has an M.L.I.S. from UW - Milwaukee ; an M.S. in Resource Planning and a B.S. in Geography both from Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU). She may be reached at acope@uwm.edu

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Susan M. Peschel
AGS Library, Senior Academic Librarian. Ms. Peschel holds an MLS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a BA in Geography from Montclair State University, New Jersey. She was affiliated with the American Geographical Society prior to its move from New York City to Milwaukee in 1978. She was the first professional librarian hired for the AGS Library by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1979. Ms. Peschel served as Managing Editor for Current Geographical Publications, a monthly bibliography of new literature in the broad field of geography published by the AGS Library until it ceased in December 2005. She now serves as Editor of Current Contents, an online continuation of CGP. In January 2006, Ms. Peschel assumed the responsibility for the AGSL Photographic Collections. Ms. Peschel is professionally active, serving on the Executive Board for the Special Libraries, Geography and Map Division for 10 years and, since 1997, as Associate Executive Director as well as Treasurer, since 2000, of the Noth American Cartographic Information Sociey, an organization founded at the AGS Library in 1980. Susan Peschel can be contacted at sqp@uwm.edu.

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Jovanka R. Ristic
Jovanka Ristic is a Senior Academic Librarian who has been with the AGS Library since 1981. In addition to her primary duties as reference librarian, she is actively involved with outreach activities, including the preparation of exhibits.  She is the Treasurer of the Map Society of Wisconsin

Ms. Ristic received her BS degree in botany, MS in botany/zoology (specializing in limnology), and MLS in library science, all from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She co-authored a series of bathymetric charts of the Great Lakes with her father, cartographer Ratko J. Ristic. Jovanka Ristic can be contacted at ristic@uwm.edu.

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