Map Exhibit Features Cell Phone Driving Laws

Map of State-by-State Cell Phone Driving Laws

Drivers planning a summer road trip across the country may wish to print a copy of this map for their records. The map shows state-by-state laws involving driving and using cell phones. Most of the laws will be valid by July if not already in effect. Drivers may add purchasing a headset to their summer vacation planning to-do list in order to avoid being fined for cell phone use.

A large copy of the map is featured in an exhibit in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection windows on the second floor of Bracken Library.

The map was featured in Wired magazine. (Sources: Governors Highway Safety Association, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

Maps of Laos Available in University Libraries

Laos Maps and Atlases Available in University Libraries

The third stop of the “Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?” adventure takes the Today Show host to Southeast Asia, to the landlocked Communist country of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, more commonly Laos. The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection and the Atlas Collection in Bracken Library have several resources for travelers wishing to also visit Laos, known as the “Realm of a Million Elephants.”

A travel map of Cambodia and Laos from 2003 is available in the GRMC for checkout. This map features inset maps of major tourist attractions and Vientiane City. The map shows four categories of roads throughout the country, and the map is printed in English and French. Another map of the region, Cambodge, Laos, Viet Nam, shows relief in shading and spot heights. This map is printed in English, French, German, and Hungarian.

The Atlas Collection adjacent to the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library also houses some atlases of Southeast Asia and Laos speicifically. Atlas of Laos: The Spatial Structures of Economic and Social Development of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, printed in 2000, is available in English. This atlas features several different maps of the country and covers economic and social conditions. Laos: A Lonely Planet Travel Atlas is an excellent resource for tourists. The atlas is similar to a guidebook and features detailed road maps and information about famous attractions throughout the country. This atlas is printed in English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese.

Maps from the GRMC can be checked out for two weeks or longer. Atlases circulate for four weeks. Contact the staff of the GRMC for more information about these maps and atlases.

Tracking Matt Lauer with Maps from University Libraries, Day Two

Day Two of Mapping Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?

The second day of the Today Show’s “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” segment found the host in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection in Bracken Library has an extensive collection of maps of Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
A perfect map for tourists of the city is the Amsterdam City Map from Dorling Kindersley Publishers. This folded laminated map shows the locations of museums, sights, galleries, and transportation routes, including the rail and metro network. The map also features ancillary maps of “Amsterdam’s best canals and waterways.”

Another map from the GRMC, Amsterdam by Car, also shows the transportation routes of the city. This map also includes traffic regulations and maps of parking zones. Patent-Folded Amsterdam map is another useful map of the city, and includes information in Dutch, French, German, and English.

The Amsterdam Pictorial Map and City Guide (shown) is a map of the significant architecture of the city, including line-art sketches of selected buildings and points of interest.

Please contact the staff of the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. for more information about these travel resources.

Following Today Show's Matt Lauer Using Maps from University Libraries

Following Matt Lauer Using Maps from University Libraries

Matt Lauer, host of the Today Show on NBC, is once again traveling around the world for a week for the program’s annual “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” Monday was the first day of the journey, and viewers got a glimpse of Lauer dancing the tango. Where in the world was Matt Lauer? Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection has a number of maps of Buenos Aires and Argentina for adventurers ready to follow Matt Lauer around the world. Buenos Aires: the Golden Map features a map of the city with selected buildings shown pictorially and five suggested walking tours. Mapas de Integracion Turistica Chile-Argentina features inset tourist maps of Buenos Aires. The GRMC also includes a map of the city from 1928 and a topographic map of the city from 1925.

Maps may be borrowed from the GRMC for two weeks or longer. Please contact the staff of the GRMC for more information about these maps or any others from the Collection.

Golf Resources Available in University Libraries GRMC

Hit the Links in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

With classes winding down and summer fast approaching, the University Libraries’ Atlas Collection and Geospatial Resources & Map Collection are great destinations for golfers anxious to hit the links.

Golfers can research courses across the country using the USA Today Golf Atlas in the Atlas Collection. The Street Map Atlases of Manatee and Sarasota County, Florida also include maps showing the locations of golf courses in the area. The Pennsylvania State Road Atlas also features a guide to golf courses throughout the state.

Golfers traveling abroad this summer can find the location of golf courses in France with the Golfs de France map from the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection. The MapArt Map of Toronto and Area includes information about golf courses located near this Canadian city, and the Windsor City Plan also details the locations of courses. Guide to Southwest Ireland map in the GRMC also shows where golfers traveling to Ireland can play.

The GRMC includes maps of various cities and counties with information about local golf courses throughout Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Minnesota, California, New Jersey, Tennessee, and New Hampshire. Golf vacations are popular in Florida, and the GRMC includes a large collection of maps with golf courses located in various cities and counties throughout the state.

Travelers to popular golf destinations like Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina can find golf guide maps in the GRMC. There are also golf guide maps available in the GRMC for Atlantic City, Los Angeles, the Sandhills area of North Carolina, and locally the Eagle Creek Park and Nature Preserve in Indianapolis.

Maps can be checked out from the GRMC for two weeks or longer, and atlases check out for four weeks.

For more information about any of these golf resources, please contact the staff of the GRMC at 765/285-1097.

Spring Wildflower Walk at Ball State University

Spring Wildflower Walk at Christy Woods


The Field Station and Environmental Education Center is hosting the Spring Wildflower Walk at Christy Woods this Saturday, April 26 at 1:00 P.M. The guided tour of the spring ephemeral wildflowers will begin outside the Orchid Greenhouse. This is the peak of the blooming season for these flowers. The walk lasts approximately 45 minutes and is free and open to the public. Parking is available in lot G13 just south of the Orchid Greenhouse.

View highlights of the spring wildflowers at http://web.bsu.edu/fseec/environment/ECI/FloraECI/Wildflowers.htm

For more information, please contact John Taylor, Land Manager, at 765/285-2641 or Hugh Brown, Director, at 765/285-5788.

New Materials in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

What’s in a Name? New Books Available in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

Anthropology classes visited the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection during the spring semester to complete a class project researching the origin of names of places in Indiana and the surrounding area. Students used maps and other resources to determine the meanings of names of towns, counties, and rivers. Two new reference books are now available in the GRMC to assist with this type of research: Indian Placenames in America, Volumes 1 and 2 by Sandy Nestor.

Indian Placenames in America, Volume 1, studies the origins of cities, towns, and villages across the United States. The book is arranged alphabetically by state, then by placename. Additional data include population figures and county names. For example, Shipshewana in LaGrange County received its name from Chief Shipshewana whose tribe was removed to Kansas in 1838. His name was interpreted as “vision of a lion,” and may come from folklore that claimed Shipshewana saw a lion in his dreams. Probable Indian placenames with no certain origin also receive entries, and as much history as possible is provided about these locations.

Indian Placenames in America, Volume 2, explains the names of mountains, canyons, rivers, lakes, creeks, forests, and other natural features. In addition to name origins and meanings, geophysical data such as heights of mountains and lengths of waterways are also indicated. Maxinkuckee Lake in Marshall County was derived from the Potawatomi word mog-sin-kee-ki, which means “big stone country,” in reference to the numerous rock bars situated in the lake.

These new materials are available in the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 P.M. Contact the staff of the GRMC for more information about using these books in research and learning.

Earthquake Maps Available in the University Libraries GRMC

Earthquake Maps Available in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

The Midwest was awakened Thursday by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake centered near West Salem, Illinois, about 60 miles from Evansville, Indiana. The quake is believed to have involved the Wabash fault, a northern extension of the New Madrid fault about six miles north of Mt. Carmel, Illinois. The last earthquake in the region to approach the severity of Friday’s was a 5.0 magnitude quake in 2002.

This map shows some of the strongest earthquakes in the region from 1699 to 2002. This map, Three Centuries of Earthquakes: Earthquakes in the Central United States, 1699 to 2002, is available in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library. The GRMC contains dozens of maps and atlases related to earthquakes and seismic activity around the world. Maps can be checked out for two weeks or longer for research and learning.

March 2008 in the GRMC

What’s Happening in the GRMC?
March 2008 Edition

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection provided maps of Russia for exhibit at the National Endowment for the Arts “The Big Read” event, Tolstoy Revealed, on March 29 at the Kennedy Library in Muncie.

Two sections of students studying to teach elementary social studies visited the GRMC on March 17 to learn about how to implement maps and atlases in the elementary classroom in lessons covering various subjects. A similar tutorial about using maps in the social studies classroom is also available on the GRMC Web page at http://www.bsu.edu/library/article/0,,54747--,00.html

Landscape architecture students were provided maps and digital resources for field trips and projects in Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; and downtown Muncie, Indiana. First-year students from the College of Architecture and Planning received instructional assistance on using the University Libraries’ new Digital Media Repository Muncie Sanborn Collection.

A local historian visited the GRMC in order research historic maps and atlases to determine the location of an abandoned town in Grant County, Indiana. Another researcher used historic atlases to determine the location of an ancient battle in Ireland.

John Taylor, Land Manager, Field Station and Environmental Education Center, received personalized GIS instruction in the GRMC lab for a special project using ArcMap software.

Students in industrial technology and construction management, urban planning, elementary education, anthropology, geography, and history visited the GRMC for research and learning during the month of March.

The GRMC is located on the second floor of Bracken Library and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Earth Day Exhibit in University Libraries GRMC

Earth Day Exhibit in Ball State University Libraries

In honor of Earth Day on April 26, the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library is presenting an exhibit of two topographic maps revealing environmental changes. The GRMC maintains a collection of United States Geological Survey topographic maps of every state. As a Depository library, the GRMC receives new maps from the government regularly. The newest topographic map of Skagway, Alaska revealed some drastic environmental changes since the last printing of the map. The older map was printed in 1954 and shows the Davidson Glacier extending toward the Chilkat Inlet with a small lake at the base. The newest topographic map of the same area, published in 2004, reveals a receding glacier with a much larger lake at its base.

The GRMC maintains the collection of these topographic maps and additional historic topographic maps so that researchers and classes can study development and environmental changes. Maps in the GRMC can be borrowed for two weeks or longer for use in the classroom. Please contact the GRMC for more information about using topographic maps in research and learning.

Ball State University GRMC Guide to Maps

Hidden Treasures: Guide to Un-cataloged Maps in the University Libraries

Thousands of maps in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection have not yet been cataloged, so searching for maps in the University Libraries’ CardCat system will not find a complete listing of maps in the Collection. Researchers should visit the GRMC to find many of the maps not available through the catalog. Un-cataloged maps are available for the regular checkout period for maps, two weeks.

Each month some of the un-cataloged maps will be featured on the GRMC Blog in order to bring attention to some of the valuable maps found in the Collection.

The GRMC contains a set of maps called the Atlas of Australian Resources. This set contains maps published by the Australia Department of National Development in Canberra. Several thematic maps are included in this unique set, many extremely valuable for research and learning about Australia:

• Crops
• Soils
• Drainage systems
• Surface water resources
• Rainfall
• Fish and fisheries
• Livestock
• Underground water
• Conservation of surfaces water
• Physical features
• Geology
• Mineral deposits
• Temperatures
• Climatic regions
• Forest resources
• Power and fuel
• Vegetation regions
• Ports and shipping
• Educational facilities
• Health services
• State and local government areas

Contact the GRMC staff for more information about the resources available for research. The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

In the Window: April Map of the Month

April Showers: "Map of the Month" is Rainiest City in the US

The “Map of the Month” for April 2008 in the Ball State University Libraries' Geospatial Resources & Map Collection is a map of Mobile, Alabama. The map of Mobile was selected because of the amount of rainfall Mobile receives every year.

San Francisco-based Weather Bill, Incorporated conducted a study to determine the rainiest city in the contiguous United States. The Southeast dominated the list, although cities in the Pacific Northwest actually had more rainy days. Most people think of Seattle when asked the rainiest city, but the rainiest city in the contiguous United States is actually Mobile, Alabama, averaging 67 inches of rain per year. Pensacola, Florida, New Orleans, Louisiana, West Palm Beach, Florida, and Lafayette, Louisiana, complete the top five rainiest cities. (Several cities in Alaska and Hawaii actually average more than 100 inches of rain per year, but this study concentrated on cities in the contiguous United States).

Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama were the wettest states, while California, Montana, and Nevada were the driest. Las Vegas, Nevada, is the driest city.

Three decades of rainfall data from the National Weather Service was used to complete the study. For more on the rainiest cities report visit www.weatherbill.com/reports/rainstudy

Visit the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library to view the “Map of the Month” or to research other maps, atlases, and GIS resources.

Ostland Atlas Added to University Libraries Digital Media Repository

Ostland Atlas Added to University Libraries Digital Media Repository

The Ostland Atlas from Ball State University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections has been added as a collection in the Digital Media Repository. The atlas was published by the Nazis in 1942 and is extremely rare. The atlas was originally acquired for the Ball State University Libraries’ Map Collection by Paul Stout, retired map librarian. Users can access the Repository at http://libx.bsu.edu/ and may either browse the collections or search for Ostland Atlas.

The creation of the Ostland Atlas was overseen by the Reich Commissioner for the Occupied Eastern Territories, Alfred Rosenberg, and used in the civil administration of the Eastern territories, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This digital collection features 52 color maps. The maps show the occupied administrative territories, climate and vegetation, population demographics, agricultural status, industry, energy and economic features, traffic and roads, foreign trade in 1938, and the history of the area.

For more information about the atlas or the University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765/285-5078 or the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection at 765/285-1097.