New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish, Slidell Topographic Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Ball State University Libraries’ USGS Topographic Maps Show Locations of New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish, Slidell Levees


The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) maintains a collection of the U.S. Geological Survey topographic map quadrants covering the United States. These maps provide details of physical and manmade features and reveal elevation levels.

The map of New Orleans (click to enlarge) includes the location of the French Quarter, Vieux Carre, the Super Dome, and the Convention Center. Contour lines reveal the elevation levels—ranging from 14 to 21 feet on the north bank of the river to 0 to 5 feet in the southern part of the city.

The Belle Chasse topographic map shows the location of Braithwaite on the southern bank of the Mississippi River. The map shows the levee along the river that was breached in Plaquemines Parish. The blue symbols below the levee near the water identify a marsh area.

The topographic map of Slidell reveals the town’s location next to Lake Pontchartrain. The levee is located east of the marsh area, and a pumping station is next to the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. This levee breach is allowing water to flood the town of Slidell, located north of this map.

The GRMC maintains a collection of historic and modern USGS topographic quadrant maps that may be used to research development and environmental changes over time. These maps circulate for two weeks or longer and may be used for class projects.

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

GIS at Ball State: Free Overview Class Available

Ball State University Libraries Offers Free Class on Available GIS Resources

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a powerful set of spatially integrated analysis tools, currently used in numerous academic disciplines at Ball State University to extend advanced research and learning. 

Attend one of the free informational sessions to learn about the types of GIS resources available to the Ball State community. Topics will include software availability, online subscriptions, training opportunities, Ball State data inventory and support options. 

Two sessions will be offered, both in the GIS Research and Map Collection, Bracken Library Room 224: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 9:30 am - 10:30 am Wednesday, August 29, 2012 1 pm - 2 pm 

Please contact Angela Gibson, GIS Specialist, at 765-285-1097 for more information.

Geography of the Olympics

Geography of the Olympics: Classroom Resources Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) offers custom cartographic classroom resources available from the Cardinal Scholar institutional repository.  Cardinal Scholar allows users to access these invaluable resources from any location with Web availability.

The GRMC created a geography lesson for middle and high school teachers that incorporates the recent interest in the Olympic Games in London.  Geography of the Olympics is a worksheet listing all the previous and future sites of the Summer and Winter Olympics.  Teachers print a copy of a world map to accompany the GRMC worksheet, and students mark the locations of each of the Olympic sites.  The students then answer analytical questions about the Olympics based on trends on the map:  Which continents have never hosted any Olympics? Why were no Olympics held in 1940 or 1944?

Storybook Map of England is a map created by the GRMC to commemorate popular children’s literature written by English authors.  The London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony featured some of these popular books and characters. 

Teachers and student-teachers headed back to the classroom can find numerous other maps, cartographic tutorials, games, posters, lesson plans, map worksheets and other resources in Cardinal Scholar.  These classroom resources were developed specifically for K-12 teachers but may be used for any research and learning projects.  

To find all of the available resources from the GRMC in Cardinal Scholar, click on “Communities and Collections” on the left side of the page.  Scroll down to the Information Technology section and the GIS Research and Map Collection will be listed under University Libraries.  On the GRMC collection home page, click on “browse by title” in the middle of the page.  This lists all the titles in the collection.  For a more specific search, you may also enter a subject or geographic location such as “Africa” or a keyword such as “game.”  Users can save the documents for use in papers, presentations, or classroom activities or print any of the materials.

For more information about any of these classroom resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Ball State University Libraries' Maps of London

The Brilliant Earth: A Nocturnal Satellite Map, 1998, GRMC

2012 Olympic Games:  London Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library is featuring a display of London maps, including a map of the Olympic venues, a Google Earth map of popular London attractions, and a tourist map of London from the Map Collection. 

The GRMC includes a collection of hundreds of various maps of London and Great Britain, including maps of London architecture, panoramic maps, travel and tourist maps, subway maps, and historical reproductions dating back to the 1500’s.  The GRMC also has a collection of historic topographic maps of Great Britain published during World War II.  The Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library also includes hundreds of cartographic resources on Great Britain and London specifically. 

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.

Ball State University Libraries’ Historic Topographic Maps Reveal Location of Submerged Town

From The Indianapolis Star:

The drought in Indiana has revealed a formerly submerged town in Huntington County in northeast Indiana.  Salamonie Reservoir was constructed in 1967, and the town formerly called “Monument City” was evacuated and submerged.  In the severe drought conditions this summer, the reservoir level is down 14 feet, exposing the foundations of houses and a school and a usable road.  The Department of Natural Resources has closed the town to visitors in order to protect artifacts.

The top map above (click to enlarge) is a USGS topographic map of Andrews from the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC).  The map details the terrain of the area as surveyed in 1950 and shows the location of Monument City.  The small cross to the west of Monument City depicts the location of a cemetery.

The second map (click to enlarge) is the same USGS topographic map of Andrews from the GRMC that was published in 1994.  The location of the Monument City Memorial Cemetery north of the former town shows where the cemetery was transplanted before the construction of the reservoir.

The GRMC maintains a collection of historic and current topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey covering the entire United States for research showing development.  Maps from the GRMC may circulate for two weeks or longer.

For more information, please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 4:30 during the summer at 765-285-1097.

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 July 22, 1934.

A copy of the map is available in PDF-format from the Ball State University Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar repository.  The original map is available for circulation for two weeks or longer from the GRMC.

Photojournalist Grady Franklin Exhibit at Ball State University Libraries

Old West Entertainment, Atlas of the New West

Grady Franklin Photojournalism Exhibit at Ball State University Libraries

Beginning Monday, July 16, “A Career in Photojournalism: The Work of Grady Franklin” will be on exhibit in the Archives and Special Collections on the second floor of Bracken Library.  The exhibit features the photographs, writings, memorabilia, and newspaper articles from Grady Franklin, including photographs of Western film stars and festivals.

The display also includes Franklin’s freelance photography for several Indiana businesses, organizations, and institutions, including Western Electric, Indiana Bankers Association, Crossroads Rehabilitation Center, The Indianapolis Star, Conner Prairie, and the Christian Science Monitor.

Several of Franklin’s Western Film Fair photographs are available online through Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository.  This digital collection will continue to grow to include photographs of conventions Franklin attended between 1979-1989 and ephemera ranging from 1979-2009.

The exhibit will be available until September 14.  A special viewing and open house with Grady Franklin will be held on Friday, July 27 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The exhibit was curated by Bethany Fiechter, Archivist for Manuscript and Digital Collections, with the assistance of Rob Fucela, Public History intern.

For more information, please contact Bethany Fiechter or the Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078.

Ball State University Libraries: Mapping the First Walk on the Moon

Small Steps:  Mapping the First Moonwalk

On this day, July 16, in 1969 the Apollo 11 mission launched into space, which landed Neil Armstrong on the moon.  On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Tranquility Base lunar module.  As millions around the world watched on live television, Armstrong spoke, “That’s one small step for [a] man, a giant leap for mankind,” as he stepped on the surface and became the first human to walk on the moon.

The map shown above (click to enlarge) was created by the United States Department of Interior and shows the location of the lunar module and the paths walked by Armstrong and astronaut Buzz Aldrin.  The map shows the American flag planted by the astronauts on the lunar surface, the television camera, and the locations of soil and seismic testing performed by the astronauts. 

In the book Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities by Frank Jacobs available in the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC), this map has been superimposed on a map of a baseball field to show the small area explored by the astronauts.   Armstrong only walked about 120 meters from the lunar module to the rim of a crater:

“After traveling hundreds of thousands of miles, the landing crew of the Apollo 11 lunar mission spent two and a half hours on the lunar surface and in that time barely covered an area the size of a baseball diamond.  Or, if your sports preferences lie elsewhere, half a soccer field, with Armstrong making just one dash at the other side’s goal.”

Strange Maps and many other atlases and cartographic resources are available from the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library.  The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 4:30 during the summer.

Using GIS for Storytelling

Using GIS to Create Storytelling Web Maps

The summer edition of ArcNews, a newsletter published by GIS software manufacturer ESRI, details how users can create story maps with ArcGIS Online.  According to the article, “storytelling is rapidly becoming one of the most important reasons that organizations use GIS.”

A story map is an interactive GIS map that combines various data to tell a story about the world.  The maps include “web-enabled maps, text, multimedia content, and functionalities that enable users to interact with them.”  Organizations are creating these maps using ArcGIS Online and the storytelling map templates created by ESRI and available on the storymaps.esri.com  site and ArcGIS Online.

Some examples of story maps created using ArcGIS Online and viewable at storymaps.esri.com are guided tours of Olympic host cities, interactive maps of obesity and diabetes in the United States, access to healthcare, tornado zones, locations of uninsured Americans, and mapping the origins of snacks from around the world.  A story map about the sinking of the Titanic (shown) allows viewers to click on locations to see passenger lists, destination cities, and travelers’ class status and survival rates.

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) provides GIS resources that support research and learning.  The GRMC offers access to the leading GIS software and online GIS tutorials, datasets, online mapping applications, in-house GIS data, and one-on-one assistance from the GIS Specialist.  The GIS Research Area in the GRMC includes 28 computers and is available for personal or classroom use.  For more information, please call 765-285-1097 or visit the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library.

GIS Research and Map Collection Closed for July 4th Holiday

GIS Research and Map Collection Closed for Independence Day Holiday

The Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library will be closed on Wednesday, July 4. The GRMC will reopen at 7:30 A.M. on Thursday, July 5.

(Independence Hall, PlaceMap Philadelphia from the GRMC)   

Around the World:  Ball State University Libraries Provides Digital Maps of Nations of the World

The Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository  provides online access to a variety of primary source materials including photographs, oral history interviews, film footage, and cartographic resources.  The newest collection, Maps of the World, provides digital maps of nearly 200 regional and national maps.  These public domain maps are published by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and are updated to reflect the most current changes in national borders and territories.

This collection of current maps of the world provides an excellent resource for research and for use in the classroom.  The maps can be conveniently downloaded for use as a visual aid in papers and presentations.

The original maps are located in the GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library.  Other relief copies and city maps are included in this collection.

For more information, contact John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, at 765-285-5078.

Artistic Map Resources from Ball State University Libraries

New Materials in the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection


The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes a substantial collection of reference materials available for research and learning. The reference collection in the GRMC includes literature of the history of cartography, map catalogs, gazetteers and geographical dictionaries, place-name resources, and historic and the most recent atlases.

Two new reference materials in the GRMC are Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities and The Map as Art: Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography. These reference books include hundreds of unique maps and accompanying essays.

The Map as Art by Katharine Harmon was featured in USA Today and O: The Oprah Magazine, and includes reproductions of 360 colorful artistic maps created by well-known artists. The image above (click to enlarge) is a collage made of vintage maps by Joao Machado called Swimming from 2007. A large copy of this image is currently displayed in the front windows of the GRMC.

Strange Maps by Frank Jacobs includes 138 graphics, essays, and statistics. The book includes a section on cartographic misconceptions, political parodies, and fantasy maps. The collection includes such unique maps as Imperial Texas and a map showing the area covered by Neil Armstrong on the moon.

Reference materials from the GRMC do not circulate; however, special accommodations will be allowed for faculty and staff using materials in the classroom or for other special projects. The materials can also be scanned or copied for inclusion in papers and presentations.

For more information about these cartographic resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

GIS Research and Map Collection Memorial Day Hours

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 28.  The GRMC will reopen on Tuesday, May 29 at 7:30 A.M.


Bracken Library will be open from noon to 3:00 A.M. on Monday, May 28.

Diplomacy, Art, Weather, and Horseracing: Maps in the News Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) and the Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library provide excellent cartographic resources for research and learning about places in the news.  Maps from atlases can be easily scanned for papers and presentations and depict a variety of topics and places in the news:

The above map of Afghanistan (click to enlarge) details the areas of influence of the Taliban in the country as of 2001 and is from the Historical Atlas of Afghanistan in the Atlas Collection.

This map of Beijing province and the city of Beijing is from China: A Provincial Atlas from the Atlas Collection in Bracken Library.

This map shows the percentage of cell phone subscribers in China.  The map is from the State of China Atlas, which features maps about the culture of the country and was published in 2005.

Edvard Munch's painting The Scream broke the record for an art auction.  Munch is listed as #32 in Norway on the map of expressionism from the Atlas of Western Art History.

This map of the incidences of tornadoes in the United States is from the World Atlas of Natural Hazards.

The Kentucky Derby is this weekend, but the Breeders Cup Classic has the largest purse of any race in the United States according to this map from the Atlas of Sports available from the Atlas Collection in Bracken Library.

Atlases from Ball State University Libraries circulate for 28 days or longer.  For more information about these and other cartographic resources, please contact the staff of the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Maps of North Korean Nuclear Capacity Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: North Korea Nuclear Capacity

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) includes hundreds of maps of North Korea, South Korea, and the Korean peninsula. The collection includes political and physical maps of the countries, street maps of cities, historic maps, and topographic maps of the entire peninsula. The Atlas Collection also includes resources on the Korean peninsula in English and Korean.

 The North Korean nuclear program is once again making news this week as the government in Pyongyang announced it would launch a rocket carrying a satellite to mark the 100th anniversary of its founder, Kim Il Sung. The North Korean government claims that the rocket will launch sometime between Thursday and April 16 and invited foreign journalists to view the secret launch site. The U.S., Japan and South Korea maintain that the launch violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and that the launch is actually a cover for a long-range ballistic missile test. In 2006 and 2009, this type of launch preceded a nuclear test.

The map shown above (click to enlarge) was published by National Geographic in 2007. The map is actually an inset map on the larger map called “Two Koreas.” The larger map includes a modern physical map of the Korean peninsula, maps showing population density, charts depicting economic growth of the two countries, and the entire verso features maps about the Korean War.

This map details the military and nuclear capacity of North and South Korea, showing headquarters, bases, and deployment locations of troops; chemical weapons facilities; and nuclear reactor sites. The map shows the site of the nuclear weapon test launch that took place in October of 2006, located in northeastern North Korea. Missile facilities in both North and South Korea are also shown.

The related chart depicts the number of troops for each country. The green dollar symbol shows the number in billions of U.S. dollars each country spends on its military defense. North Korea spends 31.3% of its gross domestic product on its military. South Korea spends 2.8% of its gross domestic product on defense spending. The dark blue part of the South Korea troop level shows the 37,000 U.S. forces located in the country.

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 Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 at 765-285-1097.

Cartographic Resources Depict Social Issues

Child Abuse Maps from Ball State University Libraries


April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, first recognized in 1983 as a time to acknowledge the importance of the prevention of child abuse. The map shown above (click to enlarge) is from the Allyn & Bacon Social Atlas of the United States by William H. Frey available from the Atlas Collection in Bracken Library.

According to the atlas, “in 2004, at least 1,806,070 cases of child maltreatment were reported and investigated. Of all cases, 62.4% involved neglect, 17.5% involved physical abuse, 9.7% involved sexual abuse, and 7% involved psychological abuse.”

The map depicts the states with the highest rates of child abuse and neglect—Florida, Georgia, Iowa, West Virginia, and Massachusetts. Child fatalities in each state are marked with a red cross. “More than 80% of abuse fatalities were young children. Forty-five percent were less than a year old.”

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) and the Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library provide cartographic resources that can be used for papers or as visual aids for presentations. For more information about using maps depicting numerous social issues, please contact the staff of the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Maps of Havana, Three Mile Island, and Washington, DC Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Havana, Cuba, Three Mile Island, and the Supreme Court

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library houses nearly 145,000 maps that can be used for research and learning. The Collection includes tourist and road maps, topographic maps, and various thematic maps covering thousands of places and topics—from historic to modern.

The map shown above of The Mall in Washington, D.C., is a pop-out map published by the Compass Map Group. This laminated map neatly folds into a portable 4-inch by 5-inch shape. It includes maps of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia; Georgetown; Greater Washington; The Mall; and a map of the Metro rail system. The Mall is anchored by the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol. The Supreme Court of the United States is currently listening to arguments regarding healthcare at the location on Capital Street and First Street. The GRMC includes several tourist maps and guide books of the nation’s capital that may be checked out for two weeks or longer.

On this day, March 28, 1979, the worst nuclear disaster occurred at the Three Mile Island plant when a reactor experienced a partial meltdown near Middletown, Pennsylvania. The above portion of the Middletown, Pennsylvania topographic map shows the location of the reactors at the site. This map was published by the United States Geological Survey in 1999. The GRMC maintains a collection of USGS topographic maps for the entirety of the United States.

The map of central Havana, Cuba shown above depicts the location of the Plaza de la Revolucion’ (Revolution Plaza) where Pope Benedict delivered an open-air Mass during his visit to the island country. The GRMC maintains a large collection of maps and atlases of Cuba, both pre- and post-revolutionary era. Historic maps of the island country date back to 1922 and include topographic maps of Cuba published by the U.S. Department of War in 1933. The collection also includes city maps, bilingual tourist maps, maps of Cuba’s urban and rural population, physical and political maps of the country.

Maps from the GRMC may be circulated for two weeks or longer. For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097 Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00, or email Melissa Gentry at mgentry@bsu.edu.

Ball State University Libraries Offer Maps Related to Kony, Uganda Crisis

Maps in the News: Kony, Uganda, and Child Soldiers


A group of activists posted a video on YouTube recently about a civil conflict in Africa that began 30 years ago. The video was long and sad, but within a few days over 75 million people had watched it.


The video details the story of Joseph Kony, who became head of the Lord’s Resistance Army, a guerilla group in Uganda, in the mid-1980’s. The activists wanted to bring attention to how Kony began a terror campaign kidnapping thousands of children and forcing them into child warfare, rape, and murder.


The top map above (click to enlarge) depicts the countries in the world where child soldiers have been used in active combat by militias, including Uganda and other countries of central Africa. The second map shows the countries where warlords and militias are actively fighting as of 2008. Again Uganda and other central African countries are included. The third map shows the countries with non-state wars. The maps are from the Penguin State of the World Atlas available in the GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) and Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library.


The atlas is an excellent resource for maps, charts, and other graphics detailing many social issues from around the world. The atlas includes maps about education, warfare, gender equality, the world economy, energy resources, and health. The atlas was published in 2008, so the data used to create the maps and graphs is current.


A reference copy is always available in the GRMC so that the maps can be scanned and used as visual aids for papers and presentations. Several copies of the atlas in the Atlas Collection may be circulated for 28 days or longer.


For more information about this atlas or using maps as visual aids, please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 at 765-285-1097 or email Melissa Gentry at mgentry@bsu.edu.

The History of Women in the United States Congress Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

Women's History Month Exhibit at Ball State University Libraries: Mapping the Women of the United States Congress

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library is marking Women's History Month with a special map exhibit.  The map shown above (click to enlarge) details the history of some of the pioneering women of the United States Congress, including Jeannette Rankin of Montana and Shirley Chisholm of New York.

The map is also available from the University Libraries' Cardinal Scholar here:  http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/123456789/195717 and may be used in classrooms or for other exhibits or presentations.  Previous map exhibits created by the GRMC celebrating Women's History Month can also be accessed in the Cardinal Scholar repository.

For more information about this map or how to use the resources from the GRMC for presentations, please contact Melissa Gentry at mgentry@bsu.edu or call 765-285-1097.

Indiana High School Boys Basketball State Champions Map Exhibit

March Map-ness: Indiana High School Boys Basketball Champions Map at Ball State Univeristy Libraries
The Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) created this map of Indiana High School Boys Basketball Champions for a March exhibit to coincide with the beginning of the high school state basketball tournament.  The map shows the locations of the state champions in boys basketball from 1911 with Crawfordsville High School to 1997 with Bloomington North, just before class basketball was introduced in the tournament in 1998.  The hometown team, Muncie Central, leads the state with eight championships during that time.

The map is also available for printing from the University Libraries' Cardinal Scholar: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/123456789/195245

For more information about this map, please contact the GRMC from 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday at 765-285-1097.