M. Krause writes, “I’m starting a small antique map collection and would like to keep track of it on my computer (Macintosh). Is there map collection software available that will keep track of my inventory? I have searched the web to no avail.”

While antique maps are another story, many modern maps have ISBNs or other data; one of the first subjects that cropped up on the Maps and Atlases LibraryThing message board (previously) was how to use LibraryThing — book collection software — to catalogue your maps along with your books. But that won’t help with antique maps.

There is always FileMaker Pro, but then you’re starting from scratch in terms of what fields to create and what data to include. With so many customized data management applications out there, database software like FileMaker and Microsoft Access must seem like overkill, but they will do the trick in a pinch.

What do you think? Or, if you collect maps — what do you use? (Let’s not limit this to the Mac: Windows and Linux solutions welcome too. And if you’re using database software, what fields are you using?)