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.