Oslo, Norway Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Oslo, Norway Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes a large collection of maps of Norway and Scandinavia. The Oslo map shown above (click to enlarge) is an inset map from a 2009 Insight Travel Map of Norway from GeoGraphic Publishers.

The collection includes city maps of Norwegian cities, CIA maps of the country, vegetation and land use maps, and a set of topographic maps of the country. The Atlas Collection also includes road atlases and map books of Norway.

Maps of Norway and Scandinavia have not been fully cataloged and may not appear in the Libraries’ CardCat system, so contact the staff of the GRMC for more information about maps available at 765-285-1097.

Ball State University Libraries Release New Cardinal Scholar Institutional Repository

University Libraries Release New Version of Cardinal Scholar Institutional Repository

by Michael G. Szajewski, Archivist for Digital Development and University Records

A new version of Cardinal Scholar Institutional Repository, a project of the University Libraries, is now available for searching and community contributions. It utilizes DSpace digital asset management software to enhance access to resources uploaded to the repository, and it is designed to encourage further contributions to the repository through its streamlined and simplified uploading process.

Designed as a user-deposit system, Cardinal Scholar allows university community members to contribute to its collection of digital assets. In order to organize its assets better, the new Cardinal Scholar has been divided into two communities: Ball State Theses and Dissertations, and Ball State University Records and Publications. In addition to the repository’s new organizational structure, Cardinal Scholar includes many additional improvements to facilitate access and encourage user contributions. For example, the new repository allows a user to login using his or her Ball State username and password, no longer requiring a separate set of credentials. Once a user is logged-in, the new repository’s streamlined, simplified upload procedure allows the person to upload and provide information about a document in two simple steps.

When describing an item, users may now choose from a broader range of fixed terms, allowing categorization of uploaded documents to be completed more easily and with greater specificity to enhance search precision. Cardinal Scholar’s search interface has been improved, too, as the repository home page now includes an advanced search option to allow users to construct search queries of increased complexity. Furthermore, Cardinal Scholar 2.0 provides improved searching ability at the community and collection levels.

Visit the new Cardinal Scholar page at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/. For more information, visit Cardinal Scholar Frequently Asked Questions, http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/bsu/faq.jsp, or contact Michael G. Szajewski, Archivist for Digital Development and University Records, in the Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078.

(The map shown above, Storybook England, features popular children’s literature from England. The map is available in Cardinal Scholar from the GIS Research and Map Collection).

John Dillinger Gang Robberies Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

Public Enemies: John Dillinger Gang Robberies Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) created the map Public Enemies: Robberies of the John Dillinger Gang (click to enlarge above) based on information from a book by Bryan Burrough, Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-1934 (available from the General Collection of Bracken Library) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Historic Famous Cases Web page. The movie Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp is also based on the Burrough book.

John Dillinger was a legendary bank robber from Indiana who became America’s first “Public Enemy Number One.” The map marks the locations of reported robberies of Dillinger and his gang beginning with a robbery in Daleville, Indiana in the summer of 1933. Other events related to Dillinger are also featured on the map, including the location of his death in Chicago on this day—July 22—in 1934.

A copy of the map is available in PDF-format from the Ball State University Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar repository at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/123456789/194224.  The map is available for circulation for two weeks or longer. Additional printed copies of the map may be obtained from the GRMC weekdays from 7:30 to 4:30. Contact the staff for more information at 765-285-1097.

Ball State University Cardinal Kids Camp Mapping the World

Ball State University Cardinal Kids Camp Colors the World (Map)

The Ball State University Cardinal Kids Camp kicked off its “Around the World” week coloring world maps from the University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC). Cardinal Kids Camp is a summer program managed by the Office of Recreation Services that provides children weeks of activities including games, arts and crafts, tours, and swimming. The campers range in age from preschool to age 13. Each year the GRMC coordinates some special learning projects for the campers and organizes a visit to Bracken Library with Educational Resources Collections staff for other games and activities.

Many of the activities used for Cardinal Kids Camp and other youth activities are available from the GRMC on the University Libraries' Cardinal Scholar institutional repository at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/.  For more information about using maps in the classroom or for special learning activities, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Obesity in America Map from Ball State University Libraries

Growing Pains: Obesity in America Map

According to a report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, obesity rates in the United States have climbed at least 90 percent in 17 states from 1995. Nine of the ten states with the highest obesity rates are in the South, with Mississippi leading at 34.4 percent, followed by Alabama and West Virginia. These states also lead the nation in diabetes and high blood pressure, showing how obesity rates can be related to other health issues and healthcare costs.

The above maps (click to enlarge) are from the Penguin State of the World Atlas by Dan Smith available in the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) and Atlas Collection. The maps show the percentage of adults who are obese. In the 1996 map, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent. Five years later in 2001, only Mississippi had a rate over 25 percent, but many states had crossed over the 20 percent obesity mark. And in the span of ten years in 2006, only Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Colorado remained below 19 percent.

These maps clearly depict the growing problem of obesity in America, and also show how maps can be an important visual aids for explaining data. Maps offer an excellent way to communicate complex data visually. The GRMC developed an online guide about using maps and atlases as visual aids for academic papers and presentations on the Digital Map Resources section of the GRMC Research Tools Web page at http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/Libraries/CollectionsAndDept/GISandMaps/MapCollection/ResearchTools.aspx.

For more information about these maps or using maps in presentations and papers, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097 Monday through Friday.

Ball State University Libraries Independence Day Map Exhibit

Not So Independent: GIS Research and Map Collection July Map of the Month

The July “Map of the Month” exhibit in the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is the American Associations with Britain map (click to enlarge) in honor of Independence Day. The map was published in 1970 by British Travel to mark the 350th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.

A map of Great Britain and Ireland is shown with links to people and places in American history and culture: The Southwark Cathedral in London has a Harvard Memorial Chapel commemorating John Harvard, founder of Harvard University in Massachusetts, who was born nearby. Skibo Castle in Scotland was the home of Andrew Carnegie in his later years. Memorials of Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and Kennedy are located throughout London. Birthplaces of prominent Americans and ports of departure of explorers of early America are also shown.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. For more information about this map, please contact the staff at 765-285-1097.

Holiday Hours at Ball State University Libraries

Holiday Hours at the Ball State University GIS Research and Map Collection
The GIS Research and Map Collection will be closed on Monday, July 4 and will reopen at 7:30 A.M. on Tuesday, July 5.

New Cartographic Materials in the Ball State University Libraries

Strange Maps and Cartographic Curiosities Featured in Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is constantly adding new materials to its collection to provide interesting and useful resources for research and learning. One of the newest materials available is Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities by Frank Jacobs. This atlas is described an “an intriguing collection of more than one hundred out-of-the-ordinary maps, blending art, history, and pop culture for a unique atlas of humanity.

This new atlas begins with historical maps created inaccurately or with misconceptions—for example, California as an island. A section of literary-themed maps includes a map of the world in 1984 according to the George Orwell novel. Hand-drawn maps relate the art of cartography. Maps depicting historical events, political parodies, and maps as propaganda are also featured.

Other interesting maps include “Eisenhower’s Interstate System,” “Europe, If the Nazis Had Won,” and “If Land Was Sea and Sea Was Land.” An entire section of the atlas is devoted to maps of Manhattan. The map featured above (click to enlarge) was painted by Aaron Meshon as “NYiCy,” as a wrap around a children’s magazine featuring his favorite ice cream treats in the city.

Strange Maps is available in the GRMC Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 4:30 P.M. For more information, please contact the staff of the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Summer Maps at Ball State University Libraries

Summertime Maps from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) marks the first day of summer with a map featuring interesting travel destinations around the state of Indiana. The map shows the locations of state parks and forests, diners, animal farms and zoos, a wine tour, and even a giant sundial for travelers interested in a unique summer getaway. (Click to enlarge).

The map is available for reproduction from the University Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar repository at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/123456789/194204. 

The poster “What I Did Last Summer: Art of Recreation Maps” was created for an exhibit and features summer-themed artwork from maps in the GRMC. Many of the maps, atlases, and guides available from the GRMC are excellent cartographic resources for summer travelers.

Maps from the GRMC may be circulated for two weeks or longer, and atlases circulated for 28 days or longer. For more information about these resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097 Monday through Friday.

Tobacco Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

World No Tobacco Day: Global Tobacco Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The World Health Organization will celebrate World No Tobacco Day on May 31. The day was created to raise awareness to the dangers of smoking and start a discussion of what can be done to prevent tobacco-related deaths around the world.

This year, more than five million people worldwide will die from tobacco-related conditions, and according to the American Lung Association, 448,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases in the United States.

The maps above (click to enlarge) are from The Tobacco Atlas, available from the Atlas Collection in Ball State University Libraries. The atlas, now in its third edition, is completely updated and revised in 2009. The atlas was published by the American Cancer Society and the World Lung Foundation. The atlas shows the prevalence of tobacco, reviews health risks, charts the costs of tobacco, and describes the tobacco industry in nations around the world.

The top map depicts the proportion of adult deaths due to smoking in men and women. The red countries, including the United States, have a percentage of above 25% for men. According to the atlas, “smokers die an average of 15 years earlier than nonsmokers.” Unfortunately, tobacco-related deaths are on the rise in developing countries, and “if current trends continue, tobacco will kill seven million people annually by 2020.”

The second map shows annual cigarette consumption per person. The United States falls into the 500-1,499 category and consumes 357 billion cigarettes per year. “In 2007, smokers in China consumed 37% of the world’s cigarettes.”

The third map displays the percent of males who smoke cigarettes in the eastern hemisphere. A chart shows the top twenty male smoking populations. Note that the number of male smokers in China alone compares to the total population of the United States.

This atlas is available for research projects and papers, and the maps can be scanned for visual aids. The atlas circulates for 28 days or longer.

For more information about this or any other topical atlases from the Atlas Collection, please contact the staff of the GIS Research and Map Collection at 765-285-1097.

GIS Research and Map Collection Closed for Memorial Day

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library will be closed on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30.  The GRMC will reopen on Tuesday, May 31 at 7:30 A.M.

New Materials in Ball State University Libraries: Railway Maps of the World

New Materials in Ball State University Libraries: Railway Maps of the World

The maps shown above are printed from a new book available in the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library. Railway Maps of the World by Mark Ovenden is similar to his earlier publication, Transit Maps of the World, already available from the GRMC. The book includes over a hundred illustrations of historic and modern-day rail maps of North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania and details the history of railways.

The map of Germany shows rail routes with exaggerated landmarks made for the 1960’s rail tourists. The “Uganda Railway” poster is from 1908. Ovenden notes that the Uganda Railway “never ran through Uganda, but rather British East Africa, which is modern-day Kenya.”

The map of Los Angeles is from the Library of Congress collection and shows the streetcar lines of the early city. The city was “laid out specifically for public transit,” so the closing of the lines forced thousands of suburbanites to begin using automobiles during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

The 1920’s poster of the famed Orient Express shows a view of Istanbul and a stylized map of the routes from London and Paris to Turkey. The Trans-Siberian Railway provides “the world’s longest continuous rail passenger journey, Kiev to Vladivostok (11,085 km),” and the line crosses seven time zones. The map shown is a 1916 map showing railway services in each direction.

Railway Maps of the World and Transit Maps of the World are available for research in the GRMC. The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. during the summer.

Maps in the News from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: A Gallery of Maps

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) contains over 140,000 maps available for research and learning. The maps featured above are some that have been used this week due to various events in the news:

The first map of the United States depicts the annual incidence of tornadoes in the United States and is from the Atlas of Natural Hazards. (Click to enlarge the maps).  The latest topographic map of Joplin, Missouri, shows part of the area where a deadly tornado struck last weekend.

The blue map shows the city of Deauville, France, site of this week’s G8 Summit. This historic topographic map was published by the United States Army Map Service in 1944. The map was surveyed by the government of Great Britain during World War II using a military grid, and important streets and building are named—including casinos, hippodromes, cinemas, and a stadium.

The bright yellow map shows part of Irish Family Names Map: Arms and Mediaeval Locations published by Bartholomew Maps in 1984. This map includes a list of family names and illustrations of family shields. Moneygall, the home village of President Obama’s ancestors, is located in County “Offaly,” shown in the center of the map.

The map of Yemen shows the distribution of ethnic and religious groups and key tribal areas of the country. This is an inset map on a map of Yemen published by the Central Intelligence Agency in 2004.

A map of the Middle East from The Israel Historical Atlas depicts The Six Day War, which changed the borders of Israel in 1967.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. Atlases from the Atlas Collection circulate for 28 days or longer.

New Travel Materials Available in Ball State University Libraries

New Travel Materials in the GIS Research and Map Collection


The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has added new travel materials just in time for the summer.

For local travel information the 2011 Indiana Travel Guide and Indiana Recreation Guide are available for circulation. Golfers can use the Indiana Golf and Travel Guide for information about courses around the state, and the 2011 Indiana Festival Guide details hundreds of festivals. A new map of the Knobstone Trail, Indiana’s longest footpath, is also now available in the GRMC as well as a new set of state park maps including the Dunes, Harmonie, and Patoka Lake.

Travelers to the nation’s capital can now find new maps of several attractions. The GRMC has new maps available of the Smithsonian complex, the National Cathedral, and parking maps for Reagan National Airport. A new map of nearby Monticello is also available for circulation.

Travelers to Paris and New York will also find new maps in the GRMC. Maps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre’ and the Estate of Versailles are now available for circulation.

Many of these maps were gifts from Jacqueline Luzar Nelson and Justine Payne, Ball State University alumnae.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. For more information, please visit the GRMC during summer hours from 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Black Baseball in Indiana Documentary Premieres April 27 in Muncie

Ball State University Black Baseball in Indiana Documentary Premiere in Downtown Muncie

The Ball State University Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry is presenting a documentary about Negro League Baseball tomorrow, April 27, at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts in downtown Muncie. The doors open at 6:30 P.M., and the film showing begins at 7:00. The premiere is open to the public, and admission and concessions are free.

The film, Black Baseball in Indiana, was produced by fourteen Ball State students participating in a seminar exploring the league’s rich history in the state of Indiana. The students wrote a book of essays and produced this film featuring Indiana’s African American teams, players, and ballparks.

The group travelled thousands of miles interviewing leading Negro League historians, surviving players from the Indianapolis Clowns, and two of the team’s batboys. These interviews form the core of the film, supplemented with hundreds of historic photographs and vintage footage from archives around the nation.

Students from the class used road maps from the era from the GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in their research of the league. The GRMC also created a map of the Negro League teams. The map is available for use from the Digital Media Repository at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/1413/ or may be checked out from the GRMC.

For more information about the documentary, please contact the Virginia Ball Center at 765-285-0117.

Maps for Earth Day Available from Ball State University Libraries

Earth Day: Environmental Resources Available from Ball State University Libraries

Today is Earth Day, and the GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes many resources for researchers studying issues of the environment. The Map Collection includes flood plain maps for numerous areas, topographic maps for areas around the world, soil surveys and maps from counties around the country, Gap Analysis electronic resources for land cover, forest types, and other factors, maps of important farmlands in counties around the United States, natural gas and other energy maps, and national and state park and forest maps.

The Atlas Collection also includes a number of resources about the environment. The maps shown above are from the atlas One Planet, Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment, which was published by the United Nations Environment Program in 2005. Atlases in the collection cover a broad range of environmental issues, including endangered species, polluted waters, urban development, and soil degradation (shown above). Atlas of Contemporary America: Portrait of a Nation, Atlas of the Great Barrier Reef, Atlas of Wildlife, and Atlas of Global Development also include maps about the environment.

For a complete list of environmental topographic resources, researchers can access a study guide on the GRMC Web page. For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Map of Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Location Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Gulf of Mexico—A Geography of Offshore Oil Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the explosion of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion killed 11 men working on the rig and ultimately leaked five billion barrels (206 million gallons) of oil into the Gulf, making this oil spill 19 times larger than the Exxon Valdez spill.

The National Geographic Society published a map about the Gulf of Mexico and the oil spill last year. The map, Gulf of Mexico: A Geography of Offshore Oil, shows the locations of oil platforms, wells, and pipelines on one side with information about the economy of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. The verso of the map is called The Gulf of Mexico: Layers of Life and depicts the rich habitats of “one of the most ecologically and economically productive bodies of water in the world.” Birds, animals, and marine life are shown in their coastal and marine ecosystems. The map shown above is a map of seafloor environments and marks the spread of oil along the coast up until July 25, 2010.

This map is available for research and learning from the Ball State University Libraries GIS Research and Map Collection. The map circulates for two weeks or longer.

Negro League Baseball Teams Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

Black Diamonds: Map of Negro League Baseball Teams Available from Ball State University Libraries

On this day in 1947 Jackie Robinson made his debut in Major League Baseball playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson’s start marked the long-awaited end of segregation, which forced players to participate in a separate Negro League Baseball.

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) created this map (above, click to enlarge) showing the locations and names of the Negro League Baseball teams. The map is based on the book The Complete Book of Baseball’s Negro Leagues: The Other Half of Baseball History by John Holway. Photographs on the map are from Playing America’s Game by Michael L. Cooper, which is available from the Educational Resources Collections in Bracken Library. The map was made in coordination with a special collaborative project with Geralyn Strecker, Assistant Professor in the Department of English. The base map is a 1931 road map, so researchers can imagine the routes travelled by the teams during that era of history. This map circulates for two weeks or longer and is available through interlibrary loan.

For more information, please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday at 765-285-1097.

New Location for Soil Surveys in University Libraries

Soil Surveys Available from Ball State University Libraries

Students and other researchers using soil surveys in University Libraries will now find these maps in a more centralized location. All of the soil surveys are now located on the second floor of Bracken Library, either in the Atlas Collection for circulation or next door in the GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) as reference materials.

All 92 Indiana counties’ soil surveys are available from the Atlas Collection on the east side of the second floor. These map books may be circulated for 28 days. Additional soil surveys of Indiana counties are available in the GRMC as reference materials. These soil surveys are maintained in the GRMC so that every county survey is always available for research. New sets of soil survey maps of Elkhart, Fountain, and Pulaski County were also recently transferred to the GRMC.

The Atlas Collection also includes soil surveys of St. Louis County, Missouri, Prince Georges County, Maryland, and Cook County, Illinois and the area near Chicago. A soil survey of Washington, D.C., is also available in the Atlas Collection. Researchers can also use soil surveys of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the islands of Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Atlas Collection.

The GRMC also has soil maps from numerous counties around the United States. A large collection of international soil maps is also available in the GRMC. These soil maps circulate for two weeks or longer for special projects.

For more information about these cartographic resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097. The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 8 to 5 P.M.

Historical Nuclear Energy Maps from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Mapping the History of Nuclear Energy

Researchers can use many cartographic resources to study the history of nuclear energy around the world. The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library has a collection of maps detailing the history of nuclear power plants in the United States and around the world. The Atlas Collection also includes many atlases that feature maps depicting various energy issues, including The State of the World Atlas and the Student Atlas of Politics. The Chernobyl nuclear accident is detailed in the atlas One Planet, Many People from the Atlas Collection (top image).

The GRMC receives maps as a federal depository, and the U.S. government previously produced maps showing the location of commercial nuclear power stations around the United States. The GRMC also includes U.S. Geological Survey topographic quadrangle maps that depict the locations of nuclear power plants. The Forked River, New Jersey map shows the older Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, and the Middletown, Pennsylvania topographic map shows the four reactors at the Three Mile Island power plant (above). The GRMC also includes an aerial photograph of Three Mile Island (above).

CNN created a map so Americans can find the location of nuclear power plants around the country. Simply type in an address or ZIP code to see the plants in relation to any given location: http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/nuclear_power_plants_locations/index.html

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. Atlases circulate for 28 days or longer. For more information about these resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

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.