Geography and Map Library of Congress

April 27, 2010Louisiana Remote Sensing and

GIS Conference, Lafayette

The Geography and Map Division was formed in 1897. The Library of Congress was established in

1800; by 1812 nearly 100 maps were held by the Library In 1814 the British burnt the Capitol in which

the Library of Congress was located Since that time we have continued to build

our collection

The Division is located in the Basement of the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress, on Capitol Hill It has a staff of more than 40 members,

involved in acquisitions, collection management, cataloging, reference, digital conversion, and cartography for Congress The physical size of the Division

encompasses two football fields in area.

Collections

Within the space of the Division are found some 8500 cases, each with 5 drawers

Rows of Atlas shelvingA vault in which cartographic treasures are stored—the earliest original

map is a ca. 1320 portolan chart of the Mediterranean. We also hold rubbings of Chinese stone maps from the 11th century, and we hold a replica of a clay tablet map from the Tigris River region ca. 3000 BC.

We hold presidential maps, including 12 original surveys by George Washington, maps and surveys by Thomas Jefferson, and the map collection of Millard Fillmore.

The maps of the United States are quite rich, from early colonial mapping to the present day.

We hold very rich materials from European mapping traditions as well as Chinese/Japanese and Korean mapping. We hold immediate contact indigenous mapping in the Americas as well as examples of European expansion from the 16th century.

Collection size

The Division holds some 5.5 million maps, 80,000 atlases, 500 globes and globe gores, 3000 raised relief images, and some 20,000 digital files and growing.

The collection is the largest in the world and extends coverage strongly from the end of the 15th century. Examples of earlier cartographic objects are also found within.

Collection Policy Annual effort to acquire broadly from throughout

the world. Annual acquisition is between 40,000 and 55,000

items. Sources of data include federal, state, and local

governments (US), commercial publishing, foreign mapping

Acquired through official deposit from federal agencies, transfers from federal agencies, copyright, purchase, exchange, gift.

Collection Policy Our Collection process is based on meeting our research demands.

We catalog that which we acquire Items received are to be used and available to the public. In some situations we hold items that are restricted in usage, official use only

or limited distribution items, but by and large our collections are to be used by the public.

In the matter of digital data, we acquired currently tangible digital data, i.e., in cd/dvd/hard drive. We do not download to acquire geospatial data.

We have not acquired consistently imagery, although the discussion on the need to acquire imagery is persistent, given the implications of such data for GIS and other research needs.

In the past, we acquired federal mapping in parallel with the National Archives, with the expectation that one of us, or the issuing agency, would have a copy of a particular item.

Waldseemuller World Map 1507

AAG Geographers on Film

The Division will receive the AAG’s Geographers on Film archive. More than 380 hours of video presentations

by noted geographers over the past 50 years.

Public Programs

Conferences Exhibitions P.L. Phillips Society Washington Map Society Public Hours of Service: 8:30 – 5:00

Monday through Friday

Waldseemuller’s WorldConference May 14-15, 2009

Library of Congress

Portolan Chart Conference Library of Congress

May 21-22, 2010

Making Known the Collection

5.5 million maps; 350,000 catalog records Revealing hidden collections: set maps,

nautical charts, pre-1970 acquisitions

African Set Map Project

Library of Congress, Library Services, Geography & Map Division awarded $240,240 grant from Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR)

Catalog approximately 1,800 African multi-sheet map sets and inventory 125,000 map sheets. Provide access through a web portal using Google Earth.

The collection includes 19th century to present large scale mapping of Africa by various colonial powers. The largest volume and most expansive collection of African set maps.

Project team of professionals in various disciplines: Cataloging, Collections Management, Digital, Reference, Information Technology & Policy, Technicians, and Interns.

Inventory control

Interface

Interface

Geospatial Search Portal

NOAA/G&MCoast Survey Chart project

Coast and Geodetic and Lake Survey Charts ca. 32,000 sheets Agreement to scan, to create metadata,

including coordinate data, from holdings in the G&M Collection Approximately a 3-5 year project

National Library of Korea/G&M Agreement

Conservation of priceless Korean maps and atlases in G&M

Digital Team Activity

25,000 scanned images. 15,000 added in the past 3 ½ years. Includes maps from throughout the world.

Criteria for Selection for Scanning

Unique quality of the item or the theme Is the item free of copyright restrictions,

regardless of country of origin? Does a catalog record of the item exist? Project items and patron demands

Strategy to scan the collection

In 1995, the American Memory Project was born in the Library of Congress

Initial scanning program concentrated on popular U.S. historical topics, that is, the Civil War, the American Revolution, Panoramic Maps of U.S. cities, U.S. Railroad Maps

Since 1999, the scanning program has become more international, providing map coverage in scanned images from throughout the world

Broad themes of the on line collection

Panoramic maps

Virginia City, Nevada 1876

U.S. Civil War

U.S. Revolutionary War

Rochambeau map collection

Luso Hispanic World

Contemporary maps

China 18th century

America 1562 Gutierrez

WW II Situation Maps Battle of the Bulge

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Los Angeles

Cartographic Reference Tools

The Division maintains a large reference collection to aid research. The Division has created cartobibliographies

and other finding aids to its collection. Those bibliographies include maps related to Fire Insurance. City Panoramic Maps, Railroads, the US Civil War, the US Revolutionary War, the Luso Hispanic World, Chinese pre-1900 mapping.

Congressional Cartography Program 2 cartographers provide custom mapping and

geospatial analysis for Congress and the Congressional Research Service (CRS) Development of the Congressional Geospatial

Data System for use of CRS, and eventually Congress. To provide basic GIS functionality

Last Isle 1778 Gauld

Barataria Bay 1778 Gauld

Last Isle 1806 Lafon

Vermillion Bay Salt domes 1806

Louisiana 1861 Bachman

Louisiana 1732 Le Page du Pratz

Barataria 1814 Lafon

Louisiana 1895 Rand McNally

Gulf Coast 1640 Vingboons

Louisiana 1732 French long lots

Louisiana 1749 German Coast

Louisiana 1749 New Orleans

Saucier

Louisiana 1747 DeBatz

New Orleans 1722