A method, system and computer-program product for re-initializing a storage volume with an previously created volume map being preserved to allow access to previously stored data sets. The invention includes creating a new volume map in an unused volume area where the new volume map has pointers to new data sets. One of the new data sets contains the previously created volume map that points to previously created data sets. Each volume map is referenced by a volume label and includes a VTOC and an optional VTOC index. The pointers in the VTOC are data set control block (DSCB) records.