Satellite Imagery of Wrecked Cruise Ship from Digital Globe

Latest Satellite Imagery Shows Wrecked Cruise Ship

The satellite photograph shown above is from Digital Globe, a commercial imagery and geospatial products provider.  The image shows the wrecked cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, that capsized off the coast of Tuscany, Italy, near the island of Giglio last Friday. 

Digital Globe provides images from its high-resolution earth imaging satellites for use in mapping, analysis, and exploration.

Maps in the News: Nautical Charts

 

Nautical Charts in the News:  Giglio Island, Italy and Nome, Alaska

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes a large collection of nautical charts covering coastlines around the world available for research and learning.  Nautical charts are maps of the surface of the sea that include known hazards and aids to navigation.  

The top nautical chart (click to enlarge) shows the location of Giglio Island (Isola del Giglio), Italy, where a cruise ship ran aground on Friday.  The depth of the water near the ship was about 100 meters.  The coast of Italy is shaded gray.

The second nautical chart is a map of Nome, Alaska.  Crews began transferring millions of gallons of fuel Monday from a Russian tanker to the iced-in city.  The locations of fuel tanks in Nome can be viewed on the nautical chart.

Nautical charts from the GRMC can be circulated for two weeks or longer.  The charts, however, should not be used for navigation.

For more information about these maps, please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00. 

Ball State University Libraries GIS Research and Map Collection Closed Monday, January 16

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be closed Monday, January 16  for the Martin Luther King, Junior Day holiday.  The GRMC will reopen at 8:00 A.M. on Tuesday, January 17. 

Martin Luther King, Junior Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

Ball State University Libraries Marks Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with Commemorative Map:

Journey of a King: Mapping the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library has created a map of the travels of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior, to commemorate the national holiday.  The map, Journey of a King: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior, (shown above, click to enlarge) depicts some of the places the civil rights leader visited during his lifetime.  The map is based on locations documented in the book M.L.K.: Journey of a King by Tonya Bolden available from the General Collection in Bracken Library.

The map features photographs from the book and a timeline of important events in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior.  Dr. King also visited Africa, the Holy Land and Oslo, Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

The map is currently being displayed in the front window of the GRMC to correspond with a lobby exhibit on Dr. King.

A PDF-format version of the map is available from the Ball State University Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar at https://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/123456789/195146.

The map may be used for classroom lessons and presentations.  The GRMC has a large-format plotter available for members of the Ball State University community to print off larger copies of the map.

Please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 at 765-285-1097 for more information about this map and other maps for exhibits and classroom lessons.

Maps in the News

What's Happening? Maps in the News

Allyn Bacon Social Atlas of the United States map of the generations of the United States

Atlas of American Politics map of Mormon adherence distribution

Map of Nigeria from the Central Intelligence Agency

Map comparing the size of Syria and the United States, Central Intelligence Agency

The Strait of Hormuz

Geography Classes Using Ball State University Libraries' Maps

Geography Students Learn about the Effects of Flooding Using Topographic Maps

Dr. David Call, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Ball State University, teaches two sections of Geography 101: Earth, Sea, and Sky: A Geographic View. In the class, students learn about selected aspects of the physical environment and their relationship to human occupancy of the earth.

The final project for the students this fall involved learning about the effects of flooding on various environments around the United States. Dr. Call used topographic maps from the University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) to show students how these environmental factors are depicted graphically on the maps.

Students used maps of New Orleans and Laplace, Louisiana, Chester, Illinois, and Natchez and Valley, Mississippi to study how the changing course of rivers affect state boundaries and land claims, how the city’s low elevation affects New Orleans, and how river deltas can be an excellent resource for fossil fuels. Dr. Call also uses topographic maps from the GRMC for another assignment about cities in relation to rivers and mountains and glacial landforms and transportation evolution.

The GRMC provides maps for professors, teachers, and students for presentations and classroom projects. Maps from the GRMC can be used for these special projects for the entire semester. All maps circulate for two weeks or longer. Please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097 or email mgentry@bsu.edu for more information about using maps in the classroom.

Pearl Harbor Map Exhibit at Ball State University Libraries

Pearl Harbor Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is featuring a special maps exhibit to mark the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. National Geographic published a map to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the attack, and the map is being featured in the window of the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library.

The GRMC includes many maps about World War II—several actually produced during the war. This particular map (shown above—click to enlarge) includes an aerial photograph of Battleship Row and the Navy Yard taken three days after the Japanese attack. Oil from the sunken and damaged ships can be seen streaming through the harbor. The map details what happened to each of the battleships on that day, including a description of the 1,100 lives lost on the Arizona. The verso of the map is a map of the Pacific Theater of World War II.

The Atlas Collection also on the second floor of Bracken Library features many maps about World War II. The Atlas of Weaponry includes this map (above—click to enlarge) showing the wave of bombers that attacked the harbor on December 7, 1941.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. Atlases from the Atlas Collection circulate for 28 days or longer. For more information on using cartographic resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097 or email mgentry@bsu.edu.  

Ball State University LIbraries Offers Indiana Hydrology GIS Datasets

University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection Offers Indiana Hydrology GIS Datasets

The University Libraries’GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has recently compiled and made available a comprehensive collection of Indiana water-related GIS datasets. This new resource, available to those in the Ball State Community via the University Libraries LIBGIS data server, consists of nearly twenty datasets from multiple state and federal organizations and was created to make access to this data faster and easier by Ball State students, faculty, and staff.

Watershed, surface water, and groundwater data is created by multiple entities such as the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory (NWI) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Each of these departments has its own independent Web site for downloading data, which makes locating data a potentially time-consuming task. By compiling all the data created by these units into a centralized, accessible location on the LIBGIS data server, users are able to spend more time analyzing and creating maps with the data instead of searching for it on multiple Web sites.

The Indiana Water GIS Collection can be accessed on the LIBGIS server by mapping a network drive to \\LIBGIS\GCMC\data and navigating to the Indiana Water Data folder. Users will also have access to local county GIS datasets and ESRI International data when accessing the LIBGIS data drive. For instructions on mapping a network drive to the LIBGIS server, please see our tutorial entitled “Accessing GIS Data on the University Libraries’ GIS Data Server,” available online at http://tinyurl.com/GISTutorial.  

The University Libraries also offer access to the Indiana Water Quality Atlas, a software application created by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, on all the public access computers in the GRMC. The Indiana Water Quality Atlas is a Web-based interactive mapping application created to provide access to a wide array of GIS data through a common interface for watershed management, land use planning, and water quality analysis purposes.

For more information about available GIS datasets on the LIBGIS server, or about using the Indiana Water Quality Atlas application, email Angela S. Gibson at ASGibson2@bsu.edu  or call 765-285-1097.

Map of Tehran from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Tehran, Iran

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has a large collection of maps and atlases of Iran and the Middle East. The collection includes new and historic topographic, tourist, geological, and street maps. The Atlas Collection includes several atlases of Iran, including geological maps of Persia compiled by British Petroleum Company in 1956.

The map shown above (click to enlarge) identifies the location of the former United States Embassy in Tehran. The map was published in 1978, so the street names of nearby Roosevelt and America and even Shahreza have been changed since the revolution in Iran.

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





College of Architecture and Planning Gallery Exhibit

CAP Gallery Exhibit: 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition

Unity & Utopia: The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition is currently on display in the Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning Gallery. The photographic profile features photogravure plates selected from William Henry Jackson’s The White City (as it was) and Jackson’s Famous Pictures of the World’s Fair, published in 1894 and 1895. Both publications are part of the archival collections of the Drawings + Documents Archive.

Augmenting this photographic tour of the fair is a series of HD 3D animations developed by the Urban Simulation Team, School of the Arts and Architecture, UCLA. These images were created from original building, site, and landscape construction documents for the Exposition and present a fascinating and colorful contrast to the detailed black and white photography in the Jackson publications.

A larger copy of a bird’s-eye view map of the Exposition from the GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is featured in the display. This map is part of the GRMC collection of similar maps from the Library of Congress’ American Memory Collection of cities and towns.

The exhibit is a joint project of the University Libraries’ Drawing + Documents Archive and the CAP Exhibits Program. It continues through Wednesday, December 7. The CAP gallery is located in Architecture Building room 121 and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 4:30.

HIV/AIDS Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

World AIDS Day: HIV/AIDS Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

World AIDS Day is held on December 1 each year as an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show support for people living with the condition, and to remember those who have died. The theme for the 2011 is “Leading with Science, Uniting for Action.” The first World AIDS Day was held in 1988.


Many of the atlases available from the Atlas Collection in Bracken Library feature maps that depict the AIDS crisis around the world. The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World published a map showing the number of adults living with HIV/AIDS as of 2006-2007. The map features a graphic showing the number of men and women living with the disease. More women than men in Sub-Saharan Africa have HIV/AIDS.


Another map from the atlas shows the availability to drugs fighting the disease in Sub-Saharan Africa. Less than 10% of the population in many of these countries is receiving anti-retroviral drugs as of 2005. Another graph depicts the estimated number of people who died each week from HIV/AIDS in 2005.


The Penguin State of the World Atlas also features a similar map. This map includes the percentage of people infected during 2007.


The Penguin Atlas of Human Sexual Behavior from the Atlas Collection includes a map showing the HIV/AIDS population. This map also depicts the countries where more women than men have the disease. According to this map, “By 2015, AIDS will reduce the life expectancy by 17 years in countries with high HIV prevalence” in Sub-Saharan Africa.


The Allyn Bacon Social Atlas of the United States features a map and chart describing the HIV/AIDS prevalence here in America. The map shows the number of persons living with the disease in 2002 and the Center for Disease Control spending in each state. The chart from the atlas shows the number of new diagnoses, which have actually declined since the 1990’s due to prevention and treatment improvements.


Atlases are great resources for maps, charts, photographs, and other graphics, and atlases can be easily scanned for use in papers or presentations. The Atlas Collection in Bracken Library includes thousands of atlases that feature maps about many significant world and regional issues. For more information about using maps as visual aids, please contact the GIS Research and Map Collection in Bracken Library at 765-285-1097 or use the online guide for using maps for papers and presentations at http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/Libraries/CollectionsAndDept/GISandMaps/MapCollection/ResearchTools/DigitalMapResources.aspx.

Locating Indiana Christmas Tree Farms Using Online Map

Mapping Christmas Tree Farms

Indiana ranks 11th in the nation with 200 tree farms producing almost 200,000 harvestable trees per year according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Indiana residents searching for a Christmas tree can now use an online map to locate the perfect tree. The Indiana Christmas Tree Association is a not-for-profit organization made up of growers and retailers promoting the use of real Christmas trees. The association’s Web page allows users to locate a tree farm in their area with a map at http://indianachristmastree.com/pages/locate.php.

Thanksgiving Hours at the GIS Research and Map Collection

Thanksgiving Hours for the GRMC

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library will be closed on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 for Thanksgiving break.  The GRMC will reopen at 8:00 on Monday, November 28.

Tobacco Atlas Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Geography of Tobacco:  Great American Smokeout

Today marks the 36th Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society.  Ball State University Libraries' Atlas Collection includes a copy of The Tobacco Atlas published by the American Cancer Society and the World Lung Foundation and sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

The Tobacco Atlas "maps the history, documents the current situation, and predicts the future of the tobacco epidemic."  The atlas describes the story of tobacco around the world--"the leading agent of preventable death."  The atlas includes hundreds of maps, charts, graphs, and other illustrations depicting the current issues with tobacco use around the world.  "If there is anything you want to know about tobacco, you can find it in The Tobacco Atlas" according to Bill Gates.

The maps above (click to enlarge) show the percentage of tobacco deaths in men and women around the world and the countries where children are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes.  This map shows countries in Eastern Europe where more than 90% of youth are exposed to secondhand smoke.

The first chart shows the percent of countries that ban smoking in restaurants as of 2007.  Many local municipalities in the United States are currently implementing smoking bans in restaurants, including Indianapolis in an attempt to be smoke-free before the 2012 Super Bowl.

The United States has the leading female smoking population in the world, but India and China are gaining female tobacco users at alarming rates.  Over six million women in India also use oral tobacco products in addition to cigarettes.

China leads the male smoking population.  (There are actually more male smokers in China than the entire population of the United States).  Again, India leads the way for oral tobacco use with over 97 million male users.

The Tobacco Atlas is available in the Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library.  Atlases may be circulated for four weeks or longer.

Maps of Barbados at Ball State University Libraries

Mapping Where in the World Is Matt Lauer?

The last stop is Barbados for Today Show host Matt Lauer’s weeklong journey for the segment Where in the World Is Matt Lauer? The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library has been featuring maps from the collection for each of Lauer’s destinations.

The GRMC includes a varied collection of maps of Barbados and other islands of the Caribbean. The newest map depicting Barbados is a National Geographic map of the islands of the West Indies. The map shows major highways, tourist information, physical maps, and color illustrations on the verso.

Barbados is also included in a set of topographic maps of the West Indies published by the British Overseas Surveys Directorate. Several tourist and political maps of Barbados and the Caribbean are also available from the GRMC in both folded and flat format.

Special encapsulated and laminated maps are available for use in exhibit and presentations. Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097 or email mgentry@bsu.edu.

Ball State University Libraries Mapping Where in the World is Matt Lauer?

Mapping Matt Lauer: Day Four: Jungfrau, Switzerland



This morning marks day four of the Today Show segment Where in the World is Matt Lauer? Lauer showed up today in Jungfrau, Switzerland, in the middle of the Bernese Alps near the border between Switzerland and Italy. The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is following Lauer around the world by featuring maps of his destinations.


The map of the Alps shown above (click to enlarge) was published by National Geographic. The map shows the location of Jungfrau and gives the elevation of the mountain at 4,158 meters (13,642 feet).


The Columbia Gazetteer of the World describes Jungfrau as the highest point in Europe that is reached by railroad. The gazetteer explains that Jungfrau is part scientific post and part tourist resort with summer skiing and dogsled rides. A meteorological station is located nearby atop the Sphinx summit.


The GRMC includes a large collection of maps of Switzerland, including cities, regions, and tourist and topographic maps—both current and historical. The Columbia Gazetteer of the World is a great resource for information about geographic locations and is available as a reference item in the GRMC. Additional copies are available in the Atlas Collection and the Reference Collection of Bracken Library.

Kuala Lumpur Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Mapping Where in the World is Matt Lauer? Day Three: Kuala Lumpur


Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is following the Today Show segment, Where in the World is Matt Lauer? Each day the GRMC will feature maps from Lauer’s current location. Day three of the journey takes Lauer to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and specifically the Petronas Twin Towers.

The GRMC includes a large collection of current and historic maps of Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur. The 2006 edition of International Travel Maps’ Kuala Lumpur map even includes a photograph of the Petronas Twin Towers on the cover. This map details points of interest, schools, hospitals, and parks. Roads are differentiated, and commuter train routes are shown. An inset map of the Kuala Lumpur transit system is included as well as a map of the region surrounding the capital. The portion of the map above shows the location of the Petronas Towers (click to enlarge).

The GRMC also includes several maps of other cities: Subang Jaya, Klang, Kuching, Petaling Jaya, Johor Bahru, Kuala Terengganu, Ipoh, Seremban, and Melaka are just some of the city maps available. Maps of states and territories of Malaysia are also available.

A large collection of historic and current maps of Malaysia and formerly Malaya are also available from the GRMC. Maps of Malaya and Western Malaysia date back to 1944. Maps of Malaysia Barat and Sarawak are also available.

Road Atlas of Malaysia, Street Directory Kuala Lumpur, and Heritage Mapbook of Peninsular Malaysia are available for research and learning from the Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library.

Maps of Malaysia are not yet fully cataloged and will not be listed in the CardCat system, so please visit or contact the GRMC for more information about these maps.

Atlas of Sports Available from Ball State University Libraries

Frazier Versus Ali: Atlas of Sports Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library contains nearly 3,000 atlases available for research and learning. The Collection includes road and street atlases, but Ball State University Libraries focuses on acquiring cartographic resources specifically for use in the college classroom. In addition to useful maps, many of the atlases include numerous compelling charts, graphs, photographs, and other graphics that may be used as visual aids for papers and presentations.

The Atlas of Sports: Who Plays What, Where, and Why is a new cartographic resource available from the Atlas Collection. The charts shown above depict the value of the sport of boxing in history, with 700 million viewers watching Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier in 1975. Countries winning Olympic medals for boxing are also shown, with the United States leading. The atlas mentions that women’s boxing will make its debut at the London Games in 2012.

For more information about using atlases and other cartographic resources in the college classroom, please contact the GIS Research and Map Collection at 765-285-1097.

Madrid, Spain Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News:  Where in the World is Madrid, Spain?

Today Show host Matt Lauer is travelling the globe this week for the “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” segments. This morning Lauer revealed that he was in Madrid, Spain, for day two of his adventure. The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library will be following along with Lauer’s journey featuring maps of the destinations.

Lauer opened his second segment specifically in Plaza Mayor. The GRMC includes a large set of maps of the city of Madrid. The tourist map (shown above—click to enlarge) shows Plaza Mayor in the center of this portion of the map. The map includes information about places of interest, photographs, and a map of the underground network. Other tourist maps of Madrid in the GRMC include maps of parks and museums, the metro system, and places of interest.

The pop-out map of Madrid from 2005 (pictured above) folds up into a convenient pocket-size resource. The map, published by Compass Map Group, opens to show central Madrid and street maps with a map of the Metro on the back.

The GRMC also has historic maps of Madrid, including historic reproductions of city plans from 1695 and 1812. An Army Map Service map of Madrid was published in 1943 during World War II. Historic topographic maps of the city and the surrounding area are also available for research and learning.
Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer. Maps of Spain have not yet been fully cataloged in CardCat, so contact the GRMC to find everything available. For more information, please call 765-285-1097 or email mgentry@bsu.edu.  

Native American Heritage Month at Ball State University Libraries

Native American Cartographic Resources Available at Ball State University Libraries

November commemorates Native American Heritage Month. Ball State University Libraries is featuring an exhibit of Native American resources in the lobby of Bracken Library. The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes a special exhibit for the month: Peopling of the Americas is a map published by National Geographic in 2000 depicting the history of the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere.

Another important resource is the Historical Atlas of Native Americans, which is available in the GRMC and from the Atlas Collection in Bracken Library. Published in 2009, the atlas includes over 150 maps, photographs, and other graphics chronicling the history of Native Americans. Many of the maps are related to historical events that happened here in the Midwest. The maps and photograph shown above are just some of the available images from the atlas.

The GRMC includes a large collection of maps related to Native American heritage. For a list of some of the cartographic resources available in University Libraries, please review the GRMC subject guide for Native American history: http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/Libraries/CollectionsAndDept/GISandMaps/MapCollection/ResearchTools/SubjectGuides.aspx

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

For more information, please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8 to 5 at 765-285-1097.