New Cartographic Materials in Ball State University Libraries

What’s New in the GIS Research & Map Collection?

The GIS Research & Map Collection (GRMC) is constantly updating its collection of maps, atlases, computer software, and other cartographic resources. New materials are being added nearly every week this summer.

The GRMC has a special section of maps that are available for use in classroom displays or for speeches and other types of presentations. Staff of the GRMC have collected large maps of nearly every country in the world and encapsulated them in plastic so that they can be easily mounted to any surface. New display maps are now available of Panama, Switzerland, Mongolia, Korea, Kenya, South Africa, New Zealand, and the countries of Oceania.

The GRMC has also recently acquired a reconnaissance aerial photograph of Omaha Beach. This map shows the actual D-Day invasion from 1944.

The GRMC also has added new reference books to the collection: Children Map the World: Selections from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s Map Competition is a book featuring maps drawn by children ranging in age from 4 to 15 and representing 37 countries. This map competition is sponsored by the International Cartographic Association as a memorial to Barbara Petchenik, a cartographer who studied how children comprehend maps. The maps (shown above) represented are truly works of art, and the book presents an interesting study in cartography.

Another new interesting book featuring a different type of cartography is Off the Map: The Most Amazing Sights on Earth as Seen by Satellite. This book features images from the Google Earth satellite images. The book showcases manmade buildings, crop and sand dune formations, high-security areas, and other interesting sights from around the world.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. Books located in the GRMC are reference materials but may be used in the classroom and for other presentations.

For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765/285-1097 or visit Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.