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.

Students Create Poster Exhibits Using Ball State University Libraries' Plotter Printers

Exhibit Posters Printed in the GRMC

The Ball State University Office of Academic Research and Sponsored Programs’ 13th annual Sandra L. Smith Student Symposium was held in the Student Center on Tuesday, March 25. The Student Symposium gives students an opportunity to present their research and creative and scholarly endeavors to the public. Most of the presentations at the Symposium take the form of a poster exhibit, and students are awarded prizes for the best presentation.

Students participating in the Symposium visited the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library to print their posters using the two large-format plotters. Over 35 students used the plotters in the GRMC to print their posters in the two days leading up to the Symposium. Students studying physics, anthropology, biology, natural resources, and health science were able to create and print their exhibit posters in the GIS lab of the GRMC.

The color plotters print on 42-inch and 36-inch wide paper. The cost for printing is $8 for the first 36 inches; $10 for the next 36-inches; and $12 for printing up to 108 inches. Charges are sent directly to student or departmental Bursar’s accounts.

For additional information about large-format printing in the GRMC, please call 765/285-1097 from 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday.

Native American Resources at Ball State University Libraries

Native American Resources for Learning, Teaching, and Research at Ball State University Libraries

by Hannah Cox, Archives and Special Collections Supervisor, and Melissa Gentry, Map Collection Assistant

Students, faculty, and other researchers looking for resources about Native Americans can find them in abundance in the Archives and Special Collections and the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection at the Ball State University Libraries. While much of the material can be found through the Libraries’ online public catalog CardCat, some items of potential interest require more in-depth assistance. For this reason, collection guides to Native American resources are being updated.

The material in Archives and Special Collections is divided into two sections, with the first focusing specifically on the Miami and Delaware people in Indiana and the second encompassing resources of a more general nature. The first section of the subject guide has been subdivided into Manuscript Collections, Theses and Dissertations, and Rare Book Monographs. This includes newspaper articles, manuscripts, books, maps, and photographs concerning local Native Americans. The Miami Indian Collection and books from such authors as Otho Winger are two examples of local resources. The second section consists primarily of rare books about Native American tribes outside of Delaware county, as well as official documents and reports. Many of the books in this area were written from the perspective of missionaries, travelers, or soldiers, although there are several written by Native Americans. The online Native American Collection Guide can be found under the Collection Areas subheading on the Archives and Special Collections homepage.

The Geospatial Resources and Map Collection (GRMC) also has a number of resources that can be used in research and learning about Native Americans. The Map Collection includes several maps published by the U.S. federal government showing the location of “Indian lands” over time, Indian land cession maps, Native American languages maps, as well as the location of current reservations throughout the United States.

Historic maps in the Collection depict the homelands and influences of Native Americans. The Making of America series of maps from National Geographic display regional homelands throughout North America. The map, Indiana, the Influence of the Indian upon its History: with Indian and French Names for Natural and Cultural Locations, shows the origins of place names in Indiana. Montana: Frontier, Pioneer: a one-page History Dedicated to the Old Timers (shown) depicts the history of the state of Montana.

The Atlas Collection also includes many resources for the study of Native Americans. The Atlas of American Indian Affairs, Atlas of American Migration, and the Illustrated Atlas of Native American History are excellent resources about Native Americans in general. Other atlases have a more specific focus, including Atlas of the Sioux Wars, The Navajo Atlas, and A Zuni Atlas.

The Native American materials are a valuable resource for research and learning. Students from Anthropology 471/571 Ethnohistory visited the GRMC for an instructional session about using cartographic resources. Students were assigned a special project using maps and other sources to research the Native American origins of places in Indiana. Historical researchers from Indianapolis were also able to use maps and aerial photography from the GRMC to assist in the identification of a possible Native American ritual site near Yorktown, Indiana. An online guide to Native American resources available in the GRMC and Atlas Collection will soon be available on the GRMC Web page. Most of the resources in the Collections are currently available for searches in CardCat.

For more information on these and other resources, contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765/285-5078 or the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection at 765/285-1097.

New Map Collection on Ball State University Libraries' Digital Media Repository

New Map Collection Now Accessible through the Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository

by Maren Read, Archivist for Manuscript Collections, Archives and Special Collections

Students, faculty, researchers, and scholars worldwide now have online access to new resources through the Ball State University’s Digital Media Repository (DMR), a project of the University Libraries. The Muncie Sanborn® Fire Insurance Maps Collection includes 200 maps showing the commercial, industrial, and residential sections of Muncie, Indiana, from 1883 through 1911. The maps were originally produced by the Sanborn Map Company to assist fire insurance agents in determining the degree of hazard and establish premiums for particular properties. Today these maps are used by students and scholars in a variety of fields, including history, urban planning, historic preservation, and genealogy. An online tutorial entitled “Maps and Cartography: Using Sanborn® Fire Insurance Maps” by Melissa Gentry, of the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection, and a handout on how to search this collection in the DMR will be available online soon.

Focus on Europe Event at University Libraries

Focus on Europe Panel in University Libraries

The European Studies Committee at Ball State University will be hosting the Focus on Europe: Spring 2008 panel discussion on Thursday, March 20 at 5:00 P.M. in Bracken Library’s Forum Room, room 225. The panel entitled “Fortress Europe—A New Wall? Immigration in Europe” will be chaired by Constantin Schreiber, a graduate student from Muenster, Germany. The event will include students from European countries and cover topics of modern European politics, culture, and society.

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection in Bracken Library is featuring a map of Europe on display to highlight the Focus on Europe event. The map includes inset maps showing the foreign-born population of Europe and net migration of European countries.

New Large-Format Plotter and Laminator in Ball State University Libraries

New Large-Format Plotter and Large-Format Laminator Now Available in the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection

The University Libraries’ Geospatial Resources & Map Collection (GRMC) recently acquired two new resources, an additional large-format plotter and a large-format laminator. This equipment is available for use by students, faculty, staff, and personnel in academic and administrative areas.

The new plotter was added to keep up with the demand from students, faculty, and departments that use plotting services. The newly acquired large-format plotter is a 42” HP 4500ps that complements the current 36” HP 10055cm. The new roll laminator accepts documents that are up to 42” wide. It is available for use by anyone in the Ball State community at a cost of $3 per linear foot.

Plotter Printing Costs
Posters either 36” wide or 42” wide:

Length of 36” and under $ 8
Length of 37” to 72” $10
Length of 73” to 108” $12

All charges for using this equipment are processed through the user’s Bursar account. This is necessary because GRMC personnel do not handle cash, and checks are not accepted.

For more information, contact the GRMC during regular business hours Monday through Friday 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

GIS Specialist Attends Indianapolis Annual Conference

Annual Indiana Geographic Information Council Conference Report

Angela Gibson, GIS Specialist, attended the Annual Indiana GIS Conference in Indianapolis on February 19-20, 2008. The conference included workshops centered on the ArcGIS Server, Web-based mapping with Google and Microsoft, and new online environmental sensitivity tools.

Shorter length sessions were offered for a variety of subjects, such as the state of the USGS National Geospatial programs, development of the Indiana Historical Aerial Photo Index, usability of free and low-cost GIS software, and a variety of subject and various task-specific topics. Two especially interesting software programs available at little to no cost that allow for desktop and Internet viewing, manipulating map data, and even some analysis were discussed. The first is AccuGlobe from Digital Data Technologies (for PC) and My World GIS from Northwestern University (for MAC). AccuGlobe Desktop 2007 can be downloaded for free at www.accuglobe.net and offers many GIS standards such as support for ECW, JPEG, and PNG layers, and legend grouping. My World GIS is a Geographic Information System (GIS) designed specifically for use in educational settings. It provides a selected subset of the features of a professional GIS environment, www.myworldgis.org/software.

This year’s Annual Indiana GIS Conference offered a plethora of new ideas, technologies, and creative uses of GIS technology, many of which will prove to be very useful for students and faculty who use the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection at Bracken Library.

February Events in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

February 2008 Events in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

Students from the College of Architecture and Planning Environmental Design Studio researched topographic maps of United States national parks in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection for a class project in February. Eighty-five students visited the GRMC to locate specific points on maps to determine a development site. Anthropology 471/571 students also used the resources of the GRMC for a class assignment following a specialized instructional session on February 4.

Students from English 103 copied maps from various countries around the world in order to create culture packets for a class assignment. Geography 341 students completed an assignment requiring a critical analysis of atlases in the Atlas Collection.

Students participating in the College Mentoring Program visited the GRMC on February 11 for a specialized instructional session on Native American resources, and maps of France were used for another mentoring presentation.

Students from Industrial Technology & Construction Management 460 and Foundations of Education 420 used GIS software, digital aerial photography, and census data to create specialized maps in the GIS lab of the GRMC. The GIS Specialist also created a custom map for a student giving a presentation on school shootings (shown above).

Community groups using maps and other resources from the GRMC in February included the Center for Historic Preservation, the Community Center for Vital Aging, the Association of Lifelong Learners, and the Canoeing Club of Chicago. Pioneer Consulting Services and Archeological Consultants of Ossian also used the resources of the GRMC for site development research. Researchers also used maps from the GRMC for information about two sites under consideration for the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information about the resources of the GRMC, please call 765-285-1097 from Monday through Friday.

Ball State University Smoke-free Campus Map

Ball State University Map of Designated Smoking Areas

Ball State University will be a smoke-free campus starting Monday, March 17, immediately following spring break. Smoking will be prohibited in all university buildings and outdoor campus areas except designated locations shown on the map. More information about the policy, including designated smoking locations may be found at www.bsu.edu/smokefree.

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:

Ball State University Hosts Global Warming Events

National Global Warming Event at Ball State University

Ball State University will be hosting Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America on Thursday, January 31, 2008, from 10:00 to 5:00 in the Student Center. Focus the Nation is a national teach-in engaging millions of students and citizens with political leaders and decision makers about global warming solutions. Faculty, students, and staff put aside “business as usual” for one day to focus on global warming issues.

Some of the topics presented during the day include ecological design, hydrological effects of climate change, the American lifestyle, faith and climate, and technological solutions to climate change. Maps and atlases focusing on climate change and environmental issues from the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection and Atlas Collection will be included in part of the display.

The closing ceremony will include Sue Errington, State Senator, and Doran Moreland, representative from Senator Evan Bayh’s office. The event is endorsed by President Gora and the Council on the Environment and sponsored by Students for a Sustainable Campus and the Center for Energy Research/Education/Service.

National Park Service Unveils New Web Camera

Old Faithful Web Camera Goes Live this Week

The National Park Service this week unveiled a live streaming Web camera of the Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park. This live camera replaces the popular previous Web page that updated every 30 seconds. The camera also captures activities at other geysers in the park like Beehive, Giantess, and Lion. Wandering wildlife may also be captured by the camera. The Web camera can be viewed at http://www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/yellowstonelive.htm

Native American Site on University Libraries' Aerial Photography

Native American Sacred Site on University Libraries’ Aerial Photography

Archaeological researchers from Ball State University have identified a circular ditch near Yorktown, Indiana, as an earthwork of Native American origin according to the Muncie StarPress. The earthen structure was built about 2,000 years ago and measures 230 feet across. The circular ditch is 13 feet wide and three feet deep. The site lies just 150 feet from Indiana State Road 32 (Kilgore Avenue) just west of Nebo Road.

The site, dubbed Yorktown Circle, was probably used as a sacred site for ritual activities. No Native American artifacts have been recovered from the site, but researchers plan to nominate the circle to both the State and National Register of Historic Places.

The Delaware County Office of Geographic Information System (GIS) reported the site to Ball State researchers in 2005 after observing perfect circles on topographic maps and aerial photography.

Aerial photography of Delaware County published in 1941 available in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection (shown above) clearly shows the site before many of the trees existed around the ditch. A Google Earth image of the current site (below) shows how trees have surrounded the circle.

Aerial photographs of Delaware County from 2005 are also available in the GRMC. Digital images can be accessed and saved or printed using the large-format plotter. The Collection also includes historic aerial photographs from other Indiana counties and several other states.

For more information about using historic and current aerial photographs, please contact or visit the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library.

More Online Tutorials Available from the GRMC

More Online Tutorials Available from the GRMC

New GIS and maps resources are available on the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection Web page. Two new online tutorials have been added to accompany the previous tutorials, Elements of a Map, Topographic Maps, and Using Maps and Atlases in Social Studies Lessons.

Students and faculty interested in learning more about GIS software can now access BusinessMAP Basics, a tutorial on the GRMC Web page. BusinessMAP 4.5 software is geared toward business and marketing tasks and was recently installed in the GIS lab in the GRMC to supplement existing GIS software.

The BusinessMAP Basics tutorial guides users through the basic functions of this new software and is supplemented by specific subject-oriented video tutorials created by ESRI that illustrate the tools being used in a project environment. Marketing and business faculty and students could use this tutorial to enhance classroom projects.

Users seeking information about geography can also access online map tutorials. These tutorials are of particular value for students for review, teachers for classroom instruction, and others who want to sharpen their map skills. The newest tutorial on the site is from the Maps and Cartography series: Map Projections. Map Projections teaches users about how maps are created using different map projections and provides examples of each type using maps from the Map Collection.

These online resources are available under the GIS and Maps and Atlases sections of the main GRMC Web page, www.bsu.edu/library/collections/gcmc. After completing the tutorials, users are asked to provide feedback, including suggestions for topics of future tutorials.

For more information on these and other resources, contact the GRMC staff at 765-285-1097.

GRMC Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection in Bracken Library will be closed on Monday, January 21, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.

2007 Review for the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

2007 By the Numbers in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

The statistics are in, and the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection was a busy place during the 2007 calendar year:

Maps circulated: 1067
Reference questions: 785
GIS resources used: 115
Materials used in the GRMC: 6,497
Instructional sessions: 21
Instructional sessions’ participants: 475
Plotter uses: 1,372

Contact the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection in University Libraries to find out more about resources for research and learning. Happy New Year!

December Events in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

Highlights from December 2007 in the GRMC

Staff of the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection provided an instructional session about using maps and atlases in social studies lessons to students in Social Studies Elementary Teaching Methods (SS397) on December 5. Students in the class learned about specific maps in the Collection, map publishers, and how to borrow maps for classroom activities.

University Libraries employees attended two Staff College sessions entitled A Day in the Life… on December 18. Participants learned about the daily responsibilities and interesting research opportunities that happen in the GRMC. Most were surprised to learn that in 2006 the GRMC hosted 3,884 visitors who used 15,982 maps and atlases. Participants also learned about daily life in Acquisitions and the Educational Resources Collection during the sessions.

The GIS Specialist assisted Frank Trechsel, Professor of Language and Linguistics in the Department of English, obtaining GIS data for Mexico and created detailed maps of specific areas for projects on Mexican-Indian dialects. Staff from the Social Science Research Center and Teachers College also used the GIS resources of the GRMC.

The GRMC also hosted a tour featuring visitors from China on December 7. Representatives from Shanghai Normal University toured the Map Collection, viewing several maps, atlases, and aerial photographs of their city.

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

Color Printing at Ball State University Libraries

Color Printing at Ball State University Libraries

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection has a large-format plotter available for anyone with a Ball State University account. The paper is 36 inches wide and prints copies as long as 108 inches. The charge for posters is $8 for the first 36 inches, $10 for prints from 37 to 72 inches, and $12 for prints from 73 to 108 inches. The charges are sent through the Bursar’s Office billing system.

Smaller color copies up to 11 by 17 inches can also be made at Bracken Library for 25 cents per page. From any computer in University Libraries, simply open the file menu and select “Print.” Use the drop-down box to select the color printer on 1 East or 1 West. Click either “OK’ or “Print” depending on the program. Type a name for the print job or select the option to use the file name and click “OK.” Pre-pay 25 cents per page at the selected printer, either with a copy card or with cash. Touch the “Mailbox” tab on the printer display. Touch the first box “BSU,” then select your print job from the list. Touch the “Print” button and “Start Print.”

Wireless laptop printing is also available in Bracken Library. To access this service, go to http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/laptopprint. Print jobs may be sent from the laptop to the Periodical/Reserve area of Bracken Library, the Architecture Library, Educational Resources Collections in Bracken Library, the Science-Health Science Library, and the first floor lobby of Bracken Library.

Maps in the News: Pakistan

Maps in the News: Pakistan

Pakistan is a country in turmoil. Benazir Bhutto, the Pakistani opposition leader and former prime minister, was assassinated Thursday as she left a political rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection is an excellent resource for information on Pakistan and other countries in the news. A variety of maps of Pakistan are available in the GRMC, including a map showing major ethnic groups, a tourist map of Pakistan, and a tectonic and geological map of Pakistan. The Central Intelligence Agency published a map of the political divisions of Pakistan, and another map shows the area of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. National Geographic published a map of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a set of satellite image maps of Pakistan are also available in the Collection. Maps of cities in Pakistan include Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi. Another map shows the Pashtun territory of Pakistan.

The Atlas Collection includes cultural, historical, and economic atlases of Pakistan. More information can be found about the country in atlases of India, the Middle East, and South Asia.

For more information about these resources, please contact the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection in Bracken Library.

Historic Atlas of Indiana Available at University Libraries

Rare Atlas of Indiana in University Libraries

Indiana was admitted to the Union on December 11, 1816, and six decades later the first important historical atlas of the state was published by Baskin, Forster, & Company in Chicago. The Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana was created by Alfred T. Andreas in 1876. Copies of this invaluable resource are available as a reference item in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection and Archives & Special Collections of University Libraries.

The atlas features 462 pages of maps of Indiana counties as they were divided in 1876. Each map includes the county seat, various townships, railroad lines, communities, churches, creeks and rivers, lakes, cemeteries, major landholders, and blacksmiths and other businesses. Colorful illustrations show courthouses and other government buildings, businesses, and private residences.

Maps of congressional, senatorial, and judicial districts of Indiana are included. Maps of the United States featuring various ethnic groups and agricultural production are featured in the front of the book. The atlas also includes thorough county histories, a business directory divided by county, and vital statistics for the United States in the back of the book. This informative atlas serves as a valuable resource for historians, historic preservationists, and genealogists.

For more information about this atlas, please contact the staff of the GRMC or Archives & Special Collections.

Maps of Toronto Available at University Libraries

GRMC Maps of Toronto for International Bowl

Ball State University’s football team will be representing the Mid-American Conference versus Rutgers University of the Big East Conference in the International Bowl in Toronto, Canada. The game will be played at noon on January 5, 2008, in Rogers Centre, formerly the Sky Dome.

Fans of the football team traveling to Toronto may wish to visit the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection to find maps of the city. The GRMC offers a variety of resources for fans traveling to Canada or for those interested in learning more about Toronto’s history.

The Collection includes two-2003 edition street maps of Toronto and the surrounding area, featuring inset maps of the downtown, driving distance charts, and toll and ferry information. An illustrated map of downtown Toronto from 2002 also features a map of the airport and subway system. A map of metropolitan parks of Toronto is available, as well as a port and harbor map of the city.

A great map for travelers is the imap of Toronto (shown above). The imap series of maps are laminated and include a working compass attached to the top of the map. This map displays tourist destinations, shopping centers, restaurants, and sporting venues.

Another map perfect for traveling is the Toronto EasyFinder map. This map is easy to handle and fold and extremely durable. The map features a map of downtown Toronto on one side and greater Toronto on the verso.

For those interested in learning about the history of Toronto, the Collection includes a bird’s-eye view map of Toronto from 1876. The Mapping of Victorian Toronto, Ontario’s History in Maps, and The Concise Historical Atlas of Canada are available in the Atlas Collection.

Maps may be borrowed from the GRMC for two weeks, while atlases check out for 28 days. For more information about these or any other resources, contact the GRMC in University Libraries at 765/285-1097.

Google Maps Street View of Indianapolis

Touring the Streets of Indianapolis with Google Maps

Google Maps has added Indianapolis, Indiana, and seven other cities to its “Street View” service, originally unveiled in June at http://maps.google.com/

Click on the left top tab marked “Street View” and click on the streets outlined in blue to view the new feature for Indianapolis. The service lets users explore 360-degree panoramic views of cityscapes and even some residential streets. The high-resolution photographic views are not live and were actually taken from vehicles driven along public streets within the last year. The images enable street-level tours so users can get a more realistic view of places researched on the maps site.

Holidays in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

Holidays in the GRMC

Winter and the season of holidays have officially arrived, and the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection offers a variety of materials for research, learning, and just for fun.

Winter recreation maps are available for Oregon, Maine, New Hampshire, Colorado, Montana, and the Adirondacks. The Collection includes maps of winter trails in national forests, cross country skiing maps, and downhill skiing maps, including resort maps of Aspen and Vail and regional skiing maps of Vermont.

Celebrate the holidays in the GRMC with maps of holidays in Switzerland, Santa Claus, Indiana, and North Pole, Alaska. The Collection includes a variety of maps of Bethlehem, including a bird’s-eye view of the old city and a guide, and numerous maps of the Holy Land.

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. for the rest of semester break. The GRMC will close at 3:00 P.M. on Monday, December 31, and will be closed on New Year’s Day.

Mapping the Literary World Display at University Libraries

Mapping the Literary World Exhibit in Bracken Library

Mapping the Literary World, a special exhibit featuring maps and atlases related to literature, will be on display from December 3, 2007 through February 28, 2008 in the cases on the east side of the first floor of Bracken Library.

Students and faculty often use maps and atlases for research and learning or in the classroom for studying geography or even history. Maps can also be used for literary purposes. The University Libraries’ Geospatial Resources & Map Collection and the Atlas Collection include many maps and atlases that can be used in the study of English and literature.

Some of the maps on display feature famous authors from various states and countries or the poets and authors popular during a specific era of history like the Harlem Renaissance. Other maps depict the actual settings of popular works of literature like the Shakespeare’s Britain map. Still other maps and atlases display fictional places, like the maps of Narnia, Atlas of Middle Earth, Tolkien’s Beleriand, or Pooh Bear’s Hundred Aker Wood from the Atlas of Fantasy.

The display also features related works of literature and images from Archives & Special Collections.

Commemorative Pearl Harbor Map Available in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

Commemorative Map of Pearl Harbor in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection includes a 60th anniversary map of the attack on Pearl Harbor from the National Geographic Society. This unique map provides a detailed overview of the events of December 7, 1941, and is available from the GRMC for research or classroom presentations.

The front of the map displays an aerial view of Battleship Row and the Navy Yard three days after the Japanese raid and details the damages to the individual ships with illustrations of squadron insignia in the margins. A bird’s eye-view of Oahu shows the first and second waves of the aircraft attack and paths over the Pacific Ocean of the Japanese strike force. The verso of the map is a reproduction of the Theater of War in the Pacific Ocean map, which was originally a supplement to the February 1942 issue of the National Geographic magazine.

Maps from the GRMC check out for two weeks. The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

University Libraries Hosts Visitors from China

Visitors from China in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

University Libraries and the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection hosted a group visiting Ball State University from China on November 30. The group consisted of officials affiliated with seven universities in China and the Sino-American University Cooperation and Exchange Office. The universities included Xi’an Shiyou University, Nanjing Normal University, Soochow (Suzhou) University, Shandong University at Weihai, Gansu Agricultural University, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, and Southwest Jiaotong University.

The visitors were thrilled to see so many maps of their hometowns and provinces in the Map Collection here at Bracken Library. The Collection includes new city maps, historic city plans, bird’s-eye-view maps of cities in China, topographic maps, and various thematic maps and atlases. Many of the maps and atlases from the Collection are printed in the Chinese language.

Ming-Ming Kuo, Collection Development Librarian, and Suzanne Rice, Assistant Dean for Public Services, organized and provided the tour of the University Libraries for the visitors.

Thanksgiving Break Hours in the GRMC

Thanksgiving Break Hours in the GRMC

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection will be closing for Thanksgiving Break at 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 21. The GRMC will reopen at 8:00 A.M. on Monday, November 26.

GIS Exhibit on the History of the White River

Online GIS Exhibit on the History of the White River

An exhibit showcasing the history of the White River in Muncie entitled, “The Life of a River: A History of the White River in Muncie in Maps and Photographs,” is now available:
http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/collections/gcmc/whiteriver/White%20River.html Users can also access the exhibit through the main GRMC Web page under “GIS Special Resources:” http://www.bsu.edu/library/collections/gcmc/


This exhibit was created by Angela Gibson, GIS Specialist, using a combination of historic maps from the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection, historic photographs from Archives and Special Collections and the latest GIS technologies available in the GRMC. The exhibit focuses on the changes that the river has experienced through time both culturally and physically. The GIS maps were created using a process known as geo-referencing (establishing the relationship between page coordinates on a planar map and known real-world coordinates) overlay and overlaying original historic maps from the GRMC with current GIS data to show the changing course of the river and the location of Delaware Indian settlements (above) and industries in relation to the current city geography.

The exhibit provides a remarkable resource for researchers, educators, and historians about the White River in east central Indiana. Contact Angela Gibson in the GRMC for more information about this exhibit and other GIS resources.

New GIS Resources at University Libraries

New GIS Resources Available in University Libraries’ Geospatial Resources and Map Collection

by Angela S. Gibson, GIS Specialist, Geospatial Resources & Map Collection

Ball State students and faculty now have new Geographic Information Systems (GIS) resources to use for learning, teaching and research through the University Libraries’ Geospatial Resources & Map Collection (GRMC).

Online Google Map for Visitors to the University Libraries

Angela Gibson, GIS Specialist, created an online visitors’ map of Ball State University that uses Google Maps API technology. Google Maps is a free Web mapping service application and technology provided by Google that powers many map-based services. The University Libraries’ Visitor Map is an added benefit to those visitors not familiar with Ball State University. The map highlights all library locations, parking garages, and food courts. Points of interest around campus such as Beneficence and Shafer Tower are also highlighted. Users are able to use the full range of Google technology such as pan and zoom, and have the option of street view, satellite view, or a hybrid of both. Images of each building and a link to their campus map Web page are embedded in the map. The Google map for visitors to University Libraries can be found at www.bsu.edu/library/collections/gcmc/visitormap

New Delaware County Oblique Photography

The GRMC now houses the complete set of Indiana’s Delaware County oblique aerial photography. The Delaware County GIS office donated a copy of the photography to the GRMC for University and community use.

Oblique photography is the technical term used to describe an aerial photograph that is taken at an angle. A feature such as a house, a building, or an overpass can be seen in its entirety. You can rotate the image and see the front door, the back door and both sides as well. This viewpoint is more familiar to users and provides almost instant 3-D modeling. These datasets are available for use by anyone inside or outside of the University. The datasets can be used by students and faculty who are working on surveying, 3-D modeling, and landscaping and urban planning projects. Geographic data and 3-D models from this program can be imported into Google Map for further analysis and sharing of data.

BusinessMAP Software by ESRI

BusinessMAP 4.5 is now available in the GRMC for students and faculty. This powerful GIS software prepackages North American street and zip code data, demographic data, Dun & Bradstreet business listings, contact manager links (ACT!, GoldMine, Outlook/BCM,
and Excel), and many other resources for analysis via GIS. Users can easily create reports, charts and maps of their study area. They can also do drive-time analysis and ring study analysis of their project site. This software is especially useful for anyone interested in marketing or demographic analysis. To test or use the software, visit the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library.

For more information on these new resources or any other GIS applications, contact Angela S. Gibson, GIS Specialist.

University Libraries Celebrates GIS Day, November 14

University Libraries Celebrates GIS Day

GIS Day is being celebrated nationwide on Wednesday, November 14. GIS is a “collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.” This is the definition of GIS according to ESRI, an annual sponsor of GIS Day.

University Libraries will be celebrating GIS Day in the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection on Wednesday from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Visitors can try out new GIS software including BusinessMap 4.5, see online maps created with Google Maps API, view the Delaware County Oblique Photography, and explore online exhibits using GIS technology. Angela Gibson, GIS Specialist, will be available to demonstrate the new technology and provide more information about using GIS for applications in almost every discipline and field.

The annual GIS open house sponsored by the Geography Department and the Office of Wireless Research and Mapping will also be held on Wednesday in Cooper Life 469.

Geography Awareness Week, November 11-17

Geography Awareness Week: Passport to Asia

November 11 -17 is Geography Awareness Week. National Geographic has been celebrating Geography Awareness Week since 1987, and this year’s theme is Passport to Asia. The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection has a variety of resources featuring Asia.

New maps of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are available in the GRMC. Maps of Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand were also recently acquired. Maps of East Timor, Asia’s newest country, are also available from the GRMC. A tourist map of Phuket and southern Thailand features places of interest, and the Streetwise Tokyo map displays current tourist destinations. New tourist maps of Hong Kong and Singapore are also available for checkout, as well as city plans of Sri Lanka and China.

The Atlas Collection houses a large collection of recent atlases of Asia. The State of China Atlas: Mapping the World’s Fastest Growing Economy offers a variety of maps about different topics in China. Researchers of history will be interested to find historical atlases of Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Central Asia. The Atlas of Asian-American History is another excellent resource for historians available in the Atlas Collection. The East Sea in Old Western Maps features maps of the sea located between Japan and the Korean peninsula.

Contact the staff of the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection for more information about these resources or any other questions at (765) 285-1097.

University Libraries Hosts International Festival

University Libraries Welcomes the World with International Festival

The annual Rinker Center for International Programs’ International Festival was held in the lobby of Bracken Library on Friday, November 10. The festival featured booths representing over thirty countries from around the world. (Ball State University is home to international students from 91 countries).

Students shared information about their home countries, displaying artifacts, artwork, maps, photographs, food and drinks. Music from around the world played throughout the festival, and a fashion show exhibited the beautiful clothing worn across the globe.

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection provided maps used during the festival. Displays featured maps of Africa, Iceland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands from the Map Collection. “The Americas” section of the festival used several maps from the GRMC for their display. Maps of all of Latin America, South America, the Caribbean, Colombia, Uruguay, and the Amazon rainforest were featured for the festival. Many of the international students were surprised to find a map of their hometown in the GRMC.

University Libraries is a great destination for international resources. In addition to the thousands of maps and atlases in the GRMC and Atlas Collection, researchers can explore the Educational Resources Collections’ variety of materials to support learning about cultures, including videos, pictures, artifacts, flags, globes, kits, international dolls, musical instruments, realia and more.

Find international music resources using the “World Music” Media Finder on the University Libraries’ Web site. This media finder will locate CD’s, books, scores and thousands of titles and artists featuring music from all over the world.

Rare books, art books, copies of The Bible and great works of fiction and poetry can be found in many different languages in the Archives & Special Collections. Pamphlets from the French Revolution, Nazi atlases, brochures, and books, and many other materials are located in the Archives, and historic photographs, speeches, magazines, films, and oral histories are available on the Digital Media Repository on the University Libraries’ Web site.

The Digital Media Repository also includes images from the Architecture Library’s Visual Resources Collection. High quality images of architecture from around the world are featured, along with photographs taken during the World Tour and CAPAsia trip. The Architecture Library also includes books on international architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning.

Visit the University Libraries’ Web site located at www.bsu.edu/library/
for more information about international resources available from this great destination for research and learning.

New and Notable in the GRMC, October 2007

New and Notable in the GRMC, October 2007

The Geospatial Resources & Map Collection hosted many different classes during the month of October. Over 130 students from Social Studies Methods, History, Education Library, and English attended instructional sessions learning about maps and atlases and GIS resources in the GRMC.

Students working on class projects also used the resources of the GRMC during October. Architecture students working on a project in Cincinnati borrowed historic and current maps for their work. Students in landscape architecture are planning an urban park in downtown Muncie, so they visited the GRMC to borrow maps and to collect GIS data. Other landscape architecture students studied historic maps of Muncie to learn about the location of streetcar lines, and historic preservation students used maps and atlases of New Albany for an upcoming project. The GIS Specialist created custom maps using data and resources for students in urban planning, foundations of education, and journalism. A professor of language and linguistics acquired GIS maps for a project on Mexican-Indian dialects in Mexico. And a professor in natural resources is using physical maps of Australia from the GRMC in his classroom for a special project.

The GIS lab received updated software during the month of October. Oblique aerial photography of Delaware County was installed on the GIS lab computers, and ESRI BusinessMap 4.5 software was also added to the lab.

The GRMC Web site was also updated with a third online map tutorial, Using Maps and Atlases in Social Studies Lessons. This tutorial explains how K-12 teachers can teach lessons about a large variety of topics by featuring images and information from maps and atlases. The tutorial is located under the “Maps and Atlases” section of the GRMC Web site at http://www.bsu.edu/library/collections/gcmc/

International Festival at University Libraries

International Festival at University Libraries

The Rinker Center for International Programs is sponsoring the annual International Festival on Friday, November 9 in the lobby of Bracken Library from 9:00 to 4:00 P.M.

The International Festival features over twenty booths displaying food, music, clothing, maps, and cultural artifacts from around the world. Visitors can explore the displays about various countries and groups, taste the different foods, listen to music, and mingle with students from around the world.

A special display will feature international resources available from University Libraries, including maps, international music, flags, globes, videos and foreign films, photographs, realia, kits, and more. International resources are available from the Educational Resources Collections, the Geospatial Resources & Map Collection, the Music Collection and Music Listening Center, Archives and Special Collections, and the Architecture Library. Many of the University Libraries’ international resources are available from the Digital Media Repository located at http://libx.bsu.edu/

Admission is free to the International Festival. For more information, contact Debra Goens at the Rinker Center for International Programs.

Host of National Geographic "Explorer" Visits Ball State University

National Geographic "Explorer" Host Lisa Ling to Speak at Ball State University

National Geographic’s Geography Awareness Week is November 11-17, but the celebration of geography begins early this year as Ball State University welcomes Lisa Ling, host of National Geographic “Explorer.” Ling will be a guest lecturer at the Pittenger Student Center Cardinal Hall at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, November 8.

Ling will present “National Geographic Reports: A Global Perspective,” in which she will discuss issues impacting our world and solutions for helping those in need. Ling will feature video clips from her television program, “Explorer,” and there will be a short question-and-answer session and meet-and-greet following the presentation.

Ling’s lecture is sponsored by Excellence in Leadership, Asian American Student Association, Housing and Residence Life, the Multicultural Center, and the Department of Telecommunications. The event is free and open to the public.