Women's Week Celebrated at Ball State University

Women’s Week Map Gallery from Ball State University Libraries

Women’s Week is an annual event at Ball State University planned by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program to celebrate the achievements and experiences of women. Women’s Week is held during the last week of March, which is National Women’s History Month.

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is celebrating Women’s History Month with an online gallery of maps depicting current issues affecting women around the world. These maps cover healthcare, government and politics, discrimination and seclusion, education and literacy, and other issues of society and leisure. The maps can be viewed at http://www.grmcwomensmaps.blogspot.com/

These maps can be used as a visual resource for papers and presentations. For citation information, please visit or contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Maps of Libya Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Libya Maps Available from Ball State University

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes thousands of maps of Africa and the Middle East that could be used in research and learning. This collection includes a large collection of maps of Libya.

The GRMC has a set of topographic maps of Libya at 1:100,000-scale. A set of historic Army Map Service topographic maps of Tripoli at 1:5,000-scale is also included in the collection.

The Central Intelligence Agency published maps of Libya depicting ethnic groups, economic activity, and population of the country. An inset map also shows Libya in relation to the size of the United States.

A 1991 travel map of Libya includes inset maps of Tripoli and Benghazi (shown above). A map of the Sahara Desert from 2006 also includes an excellent map of the coast of Libya. Another map shows the oases of the Sahara Desert located throughout Libya. City plan maps of Benghazi, Tripoli, and Derna are also included in the collection.

Nautical charts of the coastal cities of Libya offer detailed maps of the cities. The GRMC also includes a historic nautical chart of Benghazi (shown above) from 1931 that was published by the Italian government and later used during World War II by the German government. Other historic maps in the collection show Libya as part of the Italian colonial empire.

The entire collection of maps of Libya in the GRMC has not yet been cataloged, so many will not appear in the University Libraries’ CardCat system. Please contact the GRMC or visit Monday through Friday from 8 to 5 to see this array of maps.

All maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer.

Persian New Year Celebrated at Ball State University

Persian New Year Celebrated at Ball State University

The Tajik Students Association and the University International Ambassadors Club with the support of the Rinker Center for International Programs will be hosting a celebration of Navruz on Friday, March 18 in the Ball State University Student Center Ballroom from 6 to 9 p.m. Navruz is the Persian New Year and is celebrated by Persian people and the related cultural continent including Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and other parts of central Asia. The celebration marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the Iranian calendar.

The event will celebrate the Persian culture. Tajik and Iranian cuisine will be featured, as well as music and dancing performances. The event is free and open to the public.

Japan Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Japan

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library includes a large collection of maps of Japan. This collection includes over 2,000 maps of Japan, the country’s main islands, regions, and cities, and includes topographic maps, street maps and city plans, nautical charts, land use maps, and numerous other cartographic resources.

Many of the maps date back to the war era and were published by the Army Map Service and Defense Mapping Agency. A set of aviation charts of Japan still includes the original “restricted” stamp from the U.S. government. War-era nautical charts are also available in the GRMC. Complete sets of topographic maps at 1:50,000- and 1:25,000-scale are included in the collection.

The map above depicts the city of Sendai, Japan as it appeared in 1945. The nautical chart of Sendai shown above is from 2004, and also includes some of the areas depicted in Geo Eye’s before-and after aerial images shown in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html.

The maps of Japan are not cataloged so cannot be accessed using the University Libraries’ CardCat system. Please visit the GRMC to view the entire collection of maps or contact Melissa Gentry at 765-285-1097 or mgentry@bsu.edu.

All maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer.

Historic Cities Available from Digital Media Repository

American Cities Historic Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has provided more maps for a new collection on the University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository. The American Cities Historic Maps digital collection is now available in the Digital Media Repository at http://libx.bsu.edu.

This collection includes 23 maps of American cities dating from 1855 to 1921. Cities include Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Denver, New York, Pittsburgh, Louisville, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and others. The maps include street maps, topographic maps, park maps, city planning guides and maps of city harbors.

These maps can be an invaluable resource for students and researchers studying the history of these great American cities. The original maps are also available from the GIS Research and Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library.

For more information about the Digital Media Repository, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078. For more information about the maps, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.