New Atlases in Ball State University Libraries

What’s New in the Atlas Collection?

The Ball State University Libraries Atlas Collection is located on the second floor of Bracken Library. Atlases are an invaluable cartographic resource, and the maps and other illustrations can be easily scanned for presentations or for inclusion in documents. Thousands of atlases in the collection cover nearly every country in the world and offer information on a myriad of subjects.

Some of the new atlases in the collection provide new insight into some of the world’s most important challenges: World Atlas of Great Apes and Their Conservation, Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World’s Greatest Challenge, and The State of Health Atlas: Mapping the Challenges and Causes of Disease are some of the newest atlases added to the collection. Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas is new to the Atlas Collection and includes charts, diagrams, and information about marine biology.

Some of the new materials provide researchers information about numerous topics: The Penguin State of the World Atlas provides a visual survey of current events and global trends. This new edition presents maps created with the latest statistics on trade, food and water, energy resources, wars, biodiversity, and more. The new edition of The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World provides updated maps about women in the global economy, domestic violence, lesbian rights, women in government, and more.

History and sociology researchers will find many new atlases valuable to their work. The Atlas of Sacred and Spiritual Sites: Discover Places of Mystical Power from around the World provides maps of religious sites of the world’s great religions, including prominent cathedrals, mosques, and temples. The atlas also includes earthworks, holy rivers, sacred stones, and sacred mountains. Historical Atlas of Native Americans includes 150 maps that chronicle the story of North America’s indigenous peoples, including first contacts, Indians in the colonial world, American nations, and survival and renaissance.

National Geographic published two of the newest atlases in the collection: National Geographic Student Atlas of the World includes new photographs and graphics of the changing planet with maps reflecting modern borders with the most updated statistics. National Geographic’s Atlas of China provides over 300 maps and graphics showing the changes in the world’s most populous country, including towns and cities, transportation networks, natural resources, population, and trade. Sites from the 2008 Summer Olympics are provided, and sites of the 2010 World’s Fair in Shanghai are also charted.

Atlases circulate for 28 days or longer. Maps and other images from atlases can be scanned in the GIS Research and Map Collection. For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765/285-1097.

Map Exhibit Commemorates Lunar Landing Anniversary

Ball State University Libraries Commemorates Lunar Landing Anniversary with Maps

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library is featuring a special exhibit of the National Geographic The Earth’s Moon map from 1976 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the lunar landing. This map was reprinted from a 1969 version and shows the location of the historic Apollo 11 landing site on July 20, 1969, and other landing sites. (Click the map image above to enlarge).

The GRMC includes several maps of the moon and other planets. The National Geographic map reveals the two hemispheres of the moon. The names of craters and historic photographs of the moon’s surface are shown on the verso of the map. Another map in the GRMC is a map of the moon originally drawn by T. Gwyn Elger called Philips Map of the Moon from 1969.

The U.S. Army Map Service produced a pictorial lunar map in 1963 that is also available for researchers visiting the GRMC. The GRMC includes sets of topographic maps of the moon produced by the Army Map Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. Topographic maps of Mars are also available. A Map of the Heavens in the GRMC was produced by the National Geographic Society in 1957, prior to the lunar landing. Planetary Maps: Maps to Help You find Your Way around on the Moon and Mars and on Some of Earth’s Neighboring Planets and their Satellites was produced in 1991 for those planning more distant travels around the solar system. Other maps in the GRMC detail the geology of the solar system.

For more information about these maps or any other cartographic resources from Ball State University Libraries, please contact the GRMC at 765/285-1097.

Ball State University Libraries Maps on Exhibit in Indianapolis

Ball State University Libraries Maps Exhibited at Indianapolis Center

Transit maps from Ball State University Libraries GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) and Archives and Special Collections are included in an exhibit at the College of Architecture and Planning Indianapolis Center. The exhibit features maps and student projects showcasing the potential for a light rail transit system from Noblesville to Indianapolis. The maps reveal the history of successful mass transit, including interurban routes (shown above), throughout Indiana.

“Next Generation Neighborhoods, Investing in Transit: An Exhibit of Transit-Oriented Development Potential in Central Indiana” can be seen at the CAP Indianapolis Center Exhibit Gallery located in the storefront of the Indianapolis Center at 50 South Meridian Street near Monument Circle. According to the CAP Indianapolis Center Web page, the exhibit “explores how a public investment in rapid transit can leverage private development to renew neighborhoods and commercial districts and develop Central Indiana in a smarter, more cost-effective and sustainable manner.” Students worked on projects showing the potential for development centered around 18 potential light rail stops from Noblesville to downtown. More information about the exhibit is available on the CAP Indianapolis Center Web page at http://www.bsu.edu/capic/index.html.

For more information about using maps for a special exhibit or development project, please contact the GRMC at 765/285-1097.

Maps of Puerto Rico in Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Puerto Rico

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library has a number of maps and other cartographic resources focusing on Puerto Rico available for researchers and travelers. Many of the resources are available in English and Spanish.

Topographic maps of various scales of Puerto Rico produced by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Defense Mapping Agency show details and contours of the island. Puerto Rico is also featured on maps of the Caribbean and West Indies. Traveler’s Map of the West Indies published by National Geographic is a colorful map of the islands that is an excellent visual aid that could be displayed by presenters.

The GRMC also has maps of Puerto Rico with specific themes: A soil map of Puerto Rico is available for research, and an historic reconnaissance erosion survey map created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1935 is also part of the Map Collection. Other historic maps include a map showing urban and rural population in 1956 and a road map from 1941. This map could be compared to newer maps to study the island’s development. A hydro-geologic map of Puerto Rico published in Spanish is also available.

Puerto Rico is included in the National Park Service maps of the United States and maps of the national wilderness preservation system. Several maps of the Caribbean National Forest are also available.

Travelers planning a trip to Puerto Rico will find a number of valuable maps of the island. MapEasy’s Guidemap to Puerto Rico is a location map and guidebook in one, and it is waterproof and tear-resistant. The map (shown above) is beautifully illustrated and features a map of Old San Juan. Leeward and Windward Islands Eastern Caribbean Cruise Tour Guide and Hildebrand’s Travel Map are also good choices for tourists.

Atlas of Ground-Water Resources in Puerto Rico and a directory of city maps, including San Juan, are available in the Atlas Collection. The Atlas Collection is on the second floor of Bracken Library on the north side of the GRMC, and items are available for circulation from the GRMC or the main circulation counter.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer if requested. For more information about any of these resources, please contact the GRMC from Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. at 765/285-1097.

World Golf Atlas Available from Ball State University Libraries

New Materials in the Library: World Atlas of Golf

Golf’s oldest major, the British Open, begins today at Turnberry, Scotland. Turnberry is one of the golf courses featured in a new atlas available from Ball State University Libraries. World Atlas of Golf: The Greatest Courses and How They Are Played is available from the Atlas Collection in Bracken Library.

“This book features the greatest golf courses in the world that display architectural brilliance or are simply important in the history of the game.” World Atlas of Golf was published in Great Britain in 2008. The atlas includes a section on architectural design theory, the business of course design, and routing the golf course. Maps and photographs of golf courses from around the world are featured, organized by continent. (Turnberry is featured above). The location of courses on each continent or region is featured at the beginning of the chapters. A description of each course is provided, including how to play the course, memorable holes, and the history of the course. North America and Europe comprises the majority of the courses covered, including Bethpage Black, Augusta National, Pebble Beach, St Andrews, Prestwick, and Royal St. George’s.

Last year students in Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning designed miniature golf holes as part of a landscape architecture assignment. Opportunities in the business of golf course design are available to graduates of landscape architecture. This new atlas will be an excellent resource for students, researchers, and golfers as well.

Many of the tourist maps in the GIS Research and Map Collection also offer information and guides about golf courses in the area, including popular resort locations like Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, and Monterey. Golfs de France is a map of golf courses located in France. USA Today Golf Atlas is also available from the Atlas Collection.

World Atlas of Golf is available from the Atlas Collection and may be circulated for 28 days or longer. For more information about this atlas or other cartographic resources, please contact the GIS Research and Map Collection at 765/285-1097.

Italy Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: L’Aquila, Italy

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) includes hundreds of maps of Italy that are available for research and learning. The map shown above is a map of the region of Abruzzo in Italy, which includes the city of L’Aquila. L’Aquila is Abruzzo’s regional capital and second largest city and is this week the site of the Group of Eight (G-8) summit. President Barack Obama joined the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia in L’Aquila, which was hit by a massive earthquake in April.

The complete set of maps of Italy in the GRMC includes maps of the country, regions, and cities. Not all maps of Italy have been cataloged, so many of the maps available for circulation and research will not appear in the Libraries’ CardCat online catalog. Researchers are encouraged to contact or visit the GRMC to see the complete set of maps of Italy.

All maps in the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. Maps are also available through interlibrary loan. Please contact the GRMC for more information at 765/285-1097.

Holiday Hours for Ball State University Libraries GRMC

Holiday Hours for the GIS Research and Map Collection

The GIS Research and Map Collection will be closed on Friday, July 3 to commemorate the Fourth of July holiday. The GRMC will reopen at 7:30 A.M. on Monday, July 6.

Gary Indiana Maps Available at Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Gary, Indiana

The maps from Ball State University Libraries GIS Research and Map Collection shown above are sections of the newest U.S. Geological Survey topographic quadrangle map of Gary, Indiana, versus the same area as seen on a map of Gary from 1935. The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library includes a number of maps of Gary, Indiana, Lake County, and the Chicago metropolitan region.

The GRMC contains the newest editions of the Gary quadrangle map and copies dating back to 1953 for researchers wishing to see the changes in the city over time. Historical maps of the city in the GRMC date back to 1935 and include maps showing the development of the business section of Gary in 1949, the 1950’s, and the 1960’s. Two maps of different shopping centers of Gary from the 1950’s also offer historical perspective.

The GRMC contains soil surveys of Lake County, aerial photographs of Lake County and Gary, and maps of Lake County and the region showing oil, gas, and products pipelines and physiographic and geological divisions. Many of the GRMC maps of Chicago and its vicinity include Gary. Also nautical charts of the Great Lakes depict the shoreline of the city of Gary. The Gary/Hammond “EasyFinder” map is a durable, easy-to-fold street map of the region available from the GRMC for travelers to the area.

“Streetfinders,” guides, and an atlas called Lake County in Maps are located in the Atlas Collection. Plat books of Lake County are also located in the Atlas Collection.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer if necessary. Atlases circulate for 28 days.

For more information about these cartographic resources, please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. during the summer at 765/285-1097.

Delaware County Railroad History Exhibit at University Libraries

Muncie’s Railroad History Exhibit by Archives and Special Collections in Bracken Library

The Archives and Special Collections is featuring a new exhibit on the history of railroads in Muncie and Delaware County, Indiana. The exhibit, Railroads of Delaware County, will feature photographs, timetables, histories and other items documenting the history of the local railroad industry. A 1907 map of Muncie from the GIS Research and Map Collection (above) is included in the exhibit and shows the location of steam railroads, interurban lines, and city street car lines.

The exhibit runs from July 1 through mid-September. A digital collection of railroad history materials is also planned for the University Libraries Digital Media Repository, http://libx.bsu.edu/.

For more information about the exhibit, please contact John Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections at 765/285-5078. For more information about maps and other cartographic resources of railroad history, please contact the staff of the GRMC at 765/285-1097.