Maps Available in Ball State University Archives and Special Collections

University Libraries’ Historic Map of Italy

This map of Pesaro, Italy, was published in about the year 1578 and is a part of the Archives and Special Collections collection of maps. Pesaro is a city in central Italy located on the Adriatic Sea at the mouth of the Foglia River. The city is known for its palace and fortress and was once a Roman colony.

A reproduction of this particular map can also be found in Civitates Orbis Terrarum, 1572-1618 (Towns of the World) in the Atlas Collection. This book is a collection of facsimile maps that were printed by Peter von Brachel in about 1618-1623 and is composed of three volumes. The Pesaro map is included in volume two.

The Archives and Special Collections includes hundreds of maps of Indiana, Delaware County, Muncie, and other areas, most dating back to the 1800’s. The collection includes many historic road maps, plat maps, and township maps.

For more information about the maps and other cartographic materials in the Archives and Special Collections, please contact the staff of the Archives at 765/285-5078.

February Maps Displays in Ball State University Libraries

February Map Displays in the GRMC

The “Map of the Month” in the Ball State University Geospatial Resources & Map Collection for February is this map of Vatican City or the Holy See. This detailed map was published by the Central Intelligence Agency and shows the location of the radio station, the post office, and the Papal Printing Office. Vatican City is located completely within the city of Rome, Italy. As the world’s smallest country, it makes sense to feature this map during the year’s shortest month.

Other maps featured in the windows of the GRMC as "Maps in the News" are maps of Cuba and the world’s newest country, Kosovo.

For more information about these maps, please contact the GRMC in Bracken Library at 765/285-1097.

Anthropology Students Use University Libraries for Research Project

Anthropology Students Visit the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection for Research and Learning


Students from Anthropology 471/571 (Ethnohistory) visited the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection on Monday, February 4, for an instructional session on using maps and atlases in research. Students learned about ancient maps, the biases in mapmaking, using historical and thematic maps, census maps, and atlases to study different ethnic groups and history.

Colleen Boyd, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology, is introducing students to different areas of University Libraries that can be used for “hands-on” research. Boyd assigned the students an interesting project involving toponyms, place names. Students were asked to use maps and other sources to research how a place in Indiana got its name. A book in the GRMC, Indiana Place Names by Ronald Baker and Marvin Carmony, provided anecdotes about how different places in Indiana got their names. A map, Indiana, the Influence of the Indian upon its History: with Indian and French Names for Natural and Cultural Locations, was also an important resource used for the assignment. Students also visited the Archives & Special Collections to complete their research on toponyms.

For more information about using the resources of the GRMC or for planning a customized instructional session using the Collection, please contact the GRMC in Bracken Library from Monday through Friday.

Kosovo Maps, Atlases Available in University Libraries

Kosovo Maps and Atlases Available in University Libraries

News agencies are reporting that thousands of people swarmed the streets of Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, on Sunday celebrating the province’s declaration of independence. Kosovo’s parliament voted to declare independence from Serbia.

The province has been under the administration of the United Nations since ethnic clashes in 1999. Serbia refuses to recognize the independence of Kosovo, and Russia is calling for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Kosovo's independence has the support of Western powers including the United States and nations of the European Union.

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection has dozens of thematic and topographic maps of Kosovo and its capital Pristina. International Travel Maps published a map of Kosovo in 2000 in the Collection, and a map of the provinces of Kosovo is shown above.

The first democratic elections in Kosovo are documented in atlases in the Atlas Collection of Bracken Library. The Humanitarian Community Information Centre published the atlases, Kosovo Atlas and 2001 Election Day Reference Guide and Kosovo Atlas: Municipal Elections 2000, My Municipality, My Decision. The Canadian Military Atlas in the Atlas Collection also documents Canada’s involvement in the conflict in Kosovo.

Maps from the GRMC may be checked out for two weeks, and atlases check out for four weeks. For more information about these resources, please contact the GRMC at 765/285-1097.

Academy Awards Map Exhibit in University Libraries' GRMC

Mapping the Oscars

On February 24, 2008, the 80th anniversary of the Academy Awards will be broadcast from Hollywood. The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection in Bracken Library is featuring a special map exhibit in honor of this event. The exhibit, Mapping the Oscars, features maps of the settings of the five movies nominated for the Best Picture award. No Glory for Old Men takes place in West Texas; Juno is in Minnesota; There Will Be Blood’s setting is New Mexico; the movie Michael Clayton happens in New York; and Atonement takes place in England and France.

The exhibit was created by GRMC student-assistants Casey Gentis and Amber Lukes. Gentis has worked in the GRMC for three years, and this is Lukes’ second year of work. Both students will graduate in May.

For more information about this exhibit, please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 P.M.

Black History Month Maps Exhibit in University Libraries' GRMC

Black History Month Exhibit in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection’s exhibit, The Geography of Black History, will be on display during the month of February in honor of Black History Month. (Click on the image to zoom). The exhibit features images and maps from The Atlas of African-American History and Politics and The Atlas of African-American History from the Atlas Collection in Bracken Library. The exhibit details African-American contributions in the Revolutionary War, the liberation of Holocaust survivors, the civil rights movement, and professional baseball leagues, as well as other important historic events.

For more information about these atlases or the exhibit, contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Focus the Nation Global Warming Display

Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America maps and atlas display from the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection: