June Map Displays in the GRMC

June Map Displays Feature Historic Hurricanes

A special map exhibit featuring historic hurricanes is on display in the windows of the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection. June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. A map created for the display shows the ten deadliest and ten costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August of 2005 and ranks as the costliest hurricane in U.S. history and the third deadliest. Also featured are satellite images of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Hugo.

A map of Hong Kong is the “Map of the Month” for June 2007. June marks the tenth anniversary of the expiration of the British lease of Hong Kong. In June of 1997, the territory was officially turned over to the People’s Republic of China.

Maps of Baghdad and a satellite image of the Gaza Strip are also on display under “Maps in the News.”

Visit the second floor of Bracken Library to view these displays.

AAA Tour Books Available for Circulation

AAA Tour Books Available from the GRMC

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection houses a collection of the AAA Tour Books, and now some of those books are available for checkout. The 2007 editions of this popular guidebook are still available for reference use in the GRMC. However, now the 2003 editions can be circulated for a two-week period. These books include maps, points of interest, information about lodgings and restaurants, and children’s travel activities. The tour books are divided geographically:

• Europe
• Hawaii
• Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
• Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont
• New York
• New Jersey and Pennsylvania
• Mid-Atlantic states
• Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
• Florida
• Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi
• North Central states
• Texas
• Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
• Kentucky and Tennessee
• Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio
• Michigan and Wisconsin
• Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming
• Colorado and Utah
• Arizona and New Mexico
• Southern California
• Northern California
• Oregon and Washington
• Atlantic Provinces and Quebec
• Ontario
• Western Canada and Alaska
• Mexico
• Caribbean

Visit the GRMC to start making summer vacation plans using the AAA Tour Books.

Maps and Atlases for Summer Vacation

Planning Vacations with Maps and Atlases from the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

Summer is the perfect time of year for using maps and atlases from the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection and the Atlas Collection at Bracken Library. Many of the maps and atlases in the Collection can be helpful for planning the perfect summer vacation or a weekend road trip.

The GRMC has maps and nautical charts that can be a great resource for the fisherman. Fishing Your National Forests and Fishing Guide to Nova Scotia are maps available in the GRMC. The Collection also includes topographic maps and nautical charts of the United States and Canada that can be used to plan a fishing trip. Fish Michigan: Fifty Rivers is available from the Atlas Collection.

Vacationers planning a trip to the great outdoors may wish to borrow the Indiana Hiking Guide or the Trail Atlas of Michigan: Nature, Mountain Biking, and Hiking from the Atlas Collection. The Indiana Canoe Guide is also available in the Atlas Collection, and the Indiana State Atlas includes guides for hunting, fishing, and camping. The GRMC also has maps for those traveling a bit farther: West Florida Canoe Trail Guide and Maryland’s Bicycle Map are both available in the Map Collection. The Collection also includes National Park Service maps and recreational maps of state and national parks.

Golfers might be interested in the USA Today Golf Atlas in the Atlas Collection. And fans of America’s pastime should check the GRMC for the North American Baseball Travel Map. This map shows the location and contact information of every major and minor league professional baseball team in the United States and Canada.

Vacationers planning trips to the big city may wish to borrow an “i-map” from the GRMC. These maps feature destination guides of major cities and include a compass on every map. The Collection also includes maps of Disneyland and Walt Disneyworld Resort, the White House Summer Visitor’s Program map, summer maps of Cape Cod and Taos, and Yellowstone National Park.

Plan the ultimate road trip using the Get Your Kicks on Historic Route 66 map. The Gousha North American Road Atlas and Vacation Guide in the Atlas Collection includes more than 350 extra-large maps and itineraries of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, and even features travel games for kids. And the GRMC has a complete set of the AAA Tour Books for the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe.

For vacations abroad, check out the Europe Touring and Motoring Atlas or any of the numerous Lonely Planet atlases for countries around the world in the Atlas Collection.

Contact the staff of the GRMC for more information about these resources.

GPS Exhibit at Minnetrista

Technological Treasure Hunting at Minnetrista

The Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie is hosting the national premiere of an educational traveling exhibit called GPS Adventures: From Tracking to Treasure Hunting. The exhibit runs from June through September 3. Visitors to the exhibit can learn about GPS (Global Positioning Systems)—the history of GPS, current uses of GPS technology, and future possibilities.

The exhibit exposes visitors to GPS technology and information about being safe in the outdoors with this navigational tool. Visitors are also introduced to the latest craze in technology, the popular sport of geocaching—GPS treasure hunting. Geocaching is simulated at the exhibit with a maze featuring a hidden cache and secret codes.

Minnetrista will have GPS receivers available to borrow so that visitors can use their new geocaching skills to find eight hidden caches (treasure boxes) on the campus of Minnetrista and in surrounding counties. The GPS units are free with the cost of exhibit admission.

For more information on GPS Adventures, visit www.minnetrista.net