Vatican City Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News:  Vatican City Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday for the final papal audience of Pope Benedict.  Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library features several maps of Vatican City.

Vatican City is located completely with the city of Rome, Italy, and the “popout” map of Rome is a small folded map published in 2008 that includes a map of the grounds.  A 1995 National Geographic map of Italy also features an inset map of the grounds of the Holy See. 

The top map shown above was published by the Central Intelligence Agency and shows the location of the radio station, the post office, and the Papal Printing Office.  The second map shown above is a topographic map of Rome published by the Defense Mapping Agency by the War Office in 1943.

The third map shown of the Vatican City, Citta Del Vaticano, was published by the Visceglia Geographic Institute in Italian.  St. Peter’s Square is identified as “Piazza S. Pietro” on the map, and “Giardini Vaticani” marks the location of the gardens.  “Pinacoteca” is the Art Gallery located on the grounds.

Maps from the GRMC may be circulated for two weeks or longer.  The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00.  

Maps of Iran at Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News:  Tehran, Iran Maps during the Time of Argo

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.

Iran Country Profile is a map of the country created in 2004 by the Central Intelligence Agency. This map includes a comparative area map, location map, and a list of major historical events in Iran since 1908. The map features ancillary maps of regional physiography, population density, ethno-religious distribution, key petroleum sector facilities, Southern Caspian energy prospects, and the Strait of Hormuz. The GRMC also includes the most up-to-date country report maps from the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Map Collection includes road maps, physical maps, tourist maps of the country, provinces, and cities, and maps of the people of Iran. Many of these maps are printed in English, Persian, and French. Some of the historical maps in the Collection feature bright illustrations of local costumes and handicrafts. A map titled Iran (Persia), Afghanistan, and Baluchistan dates from the 1930’s and features caravan routes.

The GRMC also includes a set of international nautical charts including the areas surrounding Iran. Many of these nautical charts include basic maps of coastal areas.

Maps of the cities of Iran include a set of varied maps of Tehran. The New Map of Tehran includes telephone directories for accommodations for tourists and distance charts.  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.

The Atlas Collection includes several atlases of Iran. The Historical Atlas of Iran and Atlas d’Iran are newer materials. The Atlas d’Iran is printed in French with English captions. This atlas includes an entire section featuring numerous maps of the city of Tehran. The 1956 Atlas of Geological Maps of Southwest Persia was published by an oil company. An atlas about Iran’s White Revolution is also located in the Atlas Collection.

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

Ball State University Libraries' Presentation on Historic Preservation in Muncie

From Magic City to Shrinking City: Historic Preservation in Muncie in the 21^st Century

The Friends of Alexander M. Bracken Library are pleased to present From Magic City to Shrinking City: Historic Preservation in Muncie in the 21^st Century presented by William P. Morgan, Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Muncie, on Monday, February 18, 2013, at 7:30 pm in Bracken Library room 104.

Free parking is available in the Emens Parking Structure after 7:00 pm, and the presentation is free and open to the public.

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

(Image of Wysor Grand Theater, Muncie, from the Ball State University Libraries' Digital Media Repository)

Libya, Algeria, Mali, and North Korea Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News:  Libya, Algeria, Mali, and North Korea

News this week has been focused on the new terror threats in Mali and Algeria, coverage of the Congressional hearings on Benghazi, Libya, and missile testing in North Korea.  The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes thousands of historic and modern maps of places around the world.  The most up-to-date maps of countries around the world are published by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the GRMC includes hundreds of political and physical maps in this collection.

The collection of CIA maps is also available online in the Digital Media Repository.  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.  This collection, Maps of the World, provides digital maps of nearly 200 regional and national maps.  These public domain maps 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 are clear and easy to read can be conveniently downloaded for use as a visual aid in papers and presentations.

For more information, contact John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, at 765-285-5078.  Contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.  

Health And Wellness Maps from Ball State University Libraries

Mapping the Flu:  Health and Wellness Maps Available in Ball State University Libraries

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), an early and “moderate to severe flu season” has prompted officials to declare a public health emergency in Boston, Massachusetts.  Over 700 people have been diagnosed with the virus compared to only 70 at this time last year.

The top map above (click to enlarge) shows the geographic locations of the virus in the last week of 2012.  The brown states are areas where the reported cases of the flu are widespread.  Orange shows regional outbreaks, and the yellow-green of the District of Columbia indicates only local cases.  In the first week of 2013, however, the CDC is now reporting 44 states fall into the “widespread” category.

The CDC Web page is an excellent resource for tracking information about health and wellness issues in the United States.  For world health information, the World Health Organization offers an online Map Gallery that includes the surveillance of diseases and other health and safety issues around the world.

The Ball State University Libraries’ Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library also includes valuable cartographic resources for health research.  The State of Health Atlas includes hundreds of maps and charts related to a variety of health questions, including mental health issues like suicide (map shown above).

The Tobacco Atlas available in the Atlas Collection was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and includes maps and charts about tobacco-related diseases around the world.  The chart above shows the top male smoking populations around the world, with China’s male smoking population equaling the entire population of the United States.

The Allyn Bacon Social Atlas of the United States focuses more on health-related maps and charts in the U.S.  The atlas features maps and charts about birth rates, life expectancy, AIDS, pandemic diseases, cancer, and health insurance coverage (map shown above).

The State of the World Atlas, The State of Women in the World Atlas, Atlas of Global Development, Student Atlas of Anthropology, Growing Up in America, and other atlases in the Collection also include maps, photographs, and charts useful in health and wellness research.  Atlases may be circulated for 28 days or longer, and the maps can be easily scanned for inclusion in papers and presentations.

For more information about the Atlas Collection or other cartographic resources, please contact the GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) at 765-285-1097.

Mexican Artifacts and Maps on Display at Ball State University Libraries

Mexican Artifacts on Display in Bracken Library

The Ball State University Department of Modern Languages and Classics is sponsoring an exhibit of Mexican archaeological artifacts in Bracken Library.  The National Institute of Anthropology and History Museum of Mexico donated twenty unique pieces for an exhibit on the second floor of Bracken Library in the display cases on the north side of the Archives and Special Collections.  

The exhibit commemorated the visit of the Deputy Consul of Mexico, Guillermo Gutierrez, and a representative from the Mexican Consulate in Indianapolis on January 4.  Adam Ballart, Instructor of Spanish, curated the exhibit and was responsible for bringing the international delegation to the Ball State University campus.

The exhibit features artifacts from various cultures and regions of Mexico, including Teotihuacan, Chupicuaro, Mexica, Maya, Olmec, and Zapotec.  The age of the artifacts range from the periods between 1200 B.C. and 1521 A.D.

Maps from the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) were included in the display.  The maps show the locations of some of the cultural areas and important archaeological sites of Mexico and ancient Central America.

The special artifacts and maps will be on display until March 22, 2013.

For more information about using maps for exhibits and presentations, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

By the Numbers: 2012 in the Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection

Students, faculty, and staff from a variety of departments used the maps, atlases, GIS software, color plotters, and other resources of the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library in 2012.  In fact, the list of departments is extremely diverse:  Geography, Urban Planning, Historic Preservation, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Anthropology, History, Biology, and Construction Management.  Visitors completed projects and research for classes in English, Art, Elementary Education, Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Journalism, Sociology, Political Science, and Modern Languages and Classics.

By the numbers:  Staff of the GRMC provided instructional sessions on cartographic resources to 86 classes with 1,828 students.  2,752 maps were circulated; 2,336 cartographic reference questions were researched using 23,949 maps and other resources in the GRMC. GIS software was used by 763 visitors to the GIS Research Area or with the assistance of the GIS Specialist.  1,478 people used the large-format color plotters for printing posters for presentations, and 315 items were laminated using the large-format laminator.  And this GRMC Blog had 61,716 page views in 2012.

Contact the GRMC about any of these services or resources at 765-285-1097 Monday through Friday.

Holiday Hours for the GRMC

Holiday Hours for the GIS Research and Map Collection

Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be closing today, December 21, at 3:00 p.m.  The GRMC will reopen and resume normal business hours at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 26.  The GRMC will close at 3:00 p.m. on December 31 and be closed on New Year’s Day.  Normal 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. business hours resume on January 2.

Gaza Strip Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News:  The Gaza Strip

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research & Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library houses 140,000 maps that can be used for research and learning.  Many of the maps can be used to interpret current events.  For example, the GRMC includes a variety of maps of the Gaza Strip.

The current “Maps in the News” exhibit in the windows of the GRMC features an aerial photograph of the Gaza Strip from 2005 (above, click to enlarge).  This view of the area identifies Israeli-developed areas, the Oslo-defined settlement zones and security perimeter, the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees camps, Palestinian-populated areas, border crossings, and roads.

The GRMC also includes maps of the Gaza Strip produced by the Central Intelligence Agency and nautical charts of the Mediterranean area.  Maps of Israeli settlements in Gaza available from the GRMC date back to 1980.

The Atlas Collection, also located on the east side of the second floor of Bracken Library, includes an atlas called The Gaza Strip and West Bank: A Map Folio.  This atlas features maps showing natural resources, economic activity and land use, selected water resources, Israeli-controlled land, transportation routes and other maps.

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

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

Genealogy Workshop at Ball State University Libraries

Traveling through Time:  Ball State University Libraries’ Genealogy Class

The Community Center for Vital Aging (CCVA) is sponsoring a genealogy workshop at Ball State University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collection and GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on Monday, November 19 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on the second floor of Bracken Library.

Bethany Fiechter, from the Archives, and Melissa Gentry, from the GRMC, will be available to assist with researching materials for family history.  Participants will be able to review collections from the Digital Media Repository, historic records, historic atlases and maps, and many other resources during the workshop.  Participants are encouraged to bring genealogy materials to the Library.

Free parking will be available in the Emens Parking Garage, east of Bracken Library, at 7:00 p.m.  A CCVA staff member will meet at the garage and escort the group to the library. 

Advanced registration is required:  Contact the CCVA to register for this workshop at 765-289-4541.  The CCVA is an extension of the Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology at Ball State University.  

GIS Day at Ball State University Libraries

GIS Day Open House at Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is hosting a GIS Day Open House on Wednesday, November 14 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Visitors will be able to see how GIS is being used at Ball State University:

• View GIS projects and research posters created by faculty, staff, and students from various University departments
• Learn about GIS software available to the Ball State community
• Browse GIS data available from the University Libraries
• Sign up for free ESRI Virtual Campus courses

The GRMC is located on the east side of the second floor of Bracken Library, room 224.  For more information, please contact Angela Gibson, GIS Specialist, at 765-285-1097.

Cartographic Election Resources Available from Ball State University Libraries

Map the Vote:  Election Cartographic Resources Available from Ball State University Libraries

Election Day is tomorrow, and maps can be an ideal tool for illustrating information and statistics about elections.  The widely-used “blue states and red states” explanation of states’ party affiliations has become a cultural phrase made popular by an election map from the 2000 presidential election.

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) houses many maps, atlases, and other resources about elections—both current and historical.  Maps depicting the newly-drawn Congressional districts, maps showing election results, and maps of local election precincts are available for research in the GRMC.  U.S. Census data is also available in the GIS Research lab, and users can access more election statistics from CD-ROMs in the Collection.

One of the most popular election maps in the GRMC is the National Atlas of the United States of America: Presidential Elections, 1789-2008.  This map (insets and photograph above), published by the federal government, identifies how each state voted in every presidential election since 1789.  It features a larger map of the election results from the 2008 election (shown above, click to enlarge), where Indiana voted for the Democrat candidate for the first time since 1964 (inset maps above).  The main map displays the popular vote by county; an inset map shows the results of the electoral vote.  This map is currently displayed in the front windows of the GRMC.

The Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library can also be an invaluable resource for political research.  Atlases about specific political themes are available.  Atlas of American Women, Atlas of U.S. Foreign Relations, Atlas of World Affairs, Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, and Student Atlas of World Politics are all available from the Atlas Collection.  Census Atlas of the United States is available in the GRMC.

Atlas of American Politics, 1960-2000 features several maps about elections, including voter turnout.  This atlas also contains maps illustrating important events such as the impeachment vote of President Clinton and topics such as the environment, capital punishment, abortion, and the number of women serving in state legislatures.  The Atlas Collection also includes election resources from other countries, including the first elections in Kosovo and Poland.

Researchers can also access a cartographic study guide from the GRMC, which lists all of the available political resources.  Political Science and Election Research Cartographic Resources is available in PDF-format here.

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

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

Maps of New York City Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps of New York City, Queens, and Lower Manhattan Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library has a collection of over 200 maps of New York City and the surrounding area.  And the Atlas Collection includes dozens of atlases of New York and the five boroughs, including New York: The Photo Atlas: An Aerial Tour of All Five Boroughs published in 2004.

The aerial map shown above depicts the area of Lower Manhattan and Battery Park.  This part of Manhattan is identified as a mandatory evacuation area for Hurricane Sandy.

The street map of New York published in 2008 (click to enlarge) shows the area’s location between the Hudson and East Rivers.  Battery Park City and the Financial District are identified on the map.  The colored circles mark the subway lines.  Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge are also shown on the map.

The final map shows the Breezy Point neighborhood in the Rockaways of Queens just below the channel below Brooklyn.  This is the area devastated by over 50 house fires on the night of the hurricane landfall.  The map also identifies the location of the Coney Island Boardwalk, to the north of Breezy Point.  This map, 2008 New York City Cycling Map, shows bike paths, lanes, and routes--both existing and proposed.  The map also identifies bike shops, parks, transit facilities, and a directory to cycling resources and other places of interest.

The GRMC has topographic maps, subway maps, street maps, and travel guides available for research, learning, or for planning vacations.  The iMap of New York includes a 12-page city guide complete with a working compass on the map.  The map includes the locations of theaters, subways, restaurants, an inset map of New York Harbor, and a map of neighborhoods.

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

For more information about these maps, atlases, or other available cartographic resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Culture Week at Ball State University

Culture Week at Ball State University Begins October 29

The Ball State University Rinker Center for International Programs, the Multicultural Center, the University Program Board, and Ball State Dining Services have joined forces to sponsor this year’s Culture Week.  The highlight event will be called “The Amazing Taste: Global Fair,” and will be held in the Student Center on November 1 from 4-8 P.M.  This year’s event will feature a street fair atmosphere with cuisine from more than 20 countries, interactive cultural activities and displays, and student group demonstrations as well as a main stage entertainment in the Ballroom and Tally Area of the Student Center. 

Ball State Dining Services will host an elaborate multicultural menu from around the world.  Students can use their meal card for this event.  Cost for the food fair is $7.75 for students, $8 for non-students, $5 for children ages 3-12, and free for ages 2 and under.  Pre-purchasing of wristbands begins in the Student Center Tally on Monday, October 29.   Access to the cultural displays and activities is free.

Culture Week 2012 begins on Monday, October 29 with information available in the Student Center Tally Area from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.  Study Abroad 101 is from 1:00 to 2:00 pm in the Yuhas Room, Student Center 102.  China In-Depth: A Changing China presented by Po Hu is in Student Center 303 at 6:00 pm.  And the Outlet Hip Dance Troupe will be giving a Hip-Hop workshop at 7:30 pm in Student Center 310.

Tuesday, October 30 events include Opportunities with the Peace Corps from 12:00 to 1:00 pm in the Student Center Forum Room and International Conversation Hour at 6:00 pm in Student Center.

The University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be providing maps and posters for the country booths at the Global Fair.  Every week the GRMC provides maps for display for the Culture Exchange at the Rinker Center for International Programs, and many of these countries will be represented at this event.  The Culture Exchange for Wednesday, October 31, will feature a presentation about Iceland by Gunnar Ingolfsson at 12:00 pm in the Yuhas Room of the Student Center.  An Iceland-Inspired lunch is available in the Tally from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Other events for Wednesday, October 31 include Day of the Dead: Dla De los Muertos at 5:00 in Student Center 301 and Rocky Horror Picture Show will be shown at midnight in Pruis Hall.

Friday, November 2 events include Cardinals Abroad at 1:00 pm in the Yuhas Room and International Career Opportunities at 2:30 pm in Student Center 303.

On Saturday the Multicultural Center and Housing and Residence Life will sponsor a trip to Jungle Jim’s International Market in Cincinnati, Ohio.    

For more information about any of the Culture Week events, please contact the Rinker Center for International Programs at 765-285-5422.  For more information about using maps and other resources from the GRMC for classroom displays, exhibits, and other special events, please call the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Indiana GIS Day and Conference

Indiana GIS Day and Conference October 23 in Indianapolis

From the Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC) newsletter:

The Indiana Geographic Information Council is hosting the Indiana GIS Day and Conference at the Indiana Government Center South Conference Center in Indianapolis on October 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Anyone who plans or manages related data or those interested in learning more about GIS are invited to attend. 

Explore the innovative ways GIS is used to improve government operations.  GIS has the unique capability to help explain large amounts of information via maps and graphics using location information.  Cross-agency applications appear seamless when data is merged into a GIS.

GIS is used at the state level to issue permits; plan transportation projects; share information with the public; study flooding; prepare and respond to emergencies; understand environmental issues; study water quality; track health issues; plan new programs; and promote economic development.

Some of the topics covered at the conference include:

• GIS 101: What is GIS and How Do I Get Started
• Indiana's New Statewide Aerial Photography and Elevation Data Project
• New and Improved IndianaMap
• Improving Data about Indiana's Surface Waters
• Leveraging Geospatial Resources through the Data Sharing Initiative 

Presentations and resources for GIS users of any level will be available.  The conference is free to the public, and pre-registration is NOT required.

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) in Bracken Library seeks to be a vital resource that provides comprehensive GIS support to the entire University community.  The GRMC offers access to the leading GIS software and online GIS tutorials, datasets, and online mapping applications.  The GRMC provides in-house GIS data, and the GIS Specialist is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00 for one-on-one mapping assistance.

For more information about the Indiana GIS Day and Conference, please contact Jim Sparks, Indiana Geographic Information Officer at the Indiana Office of Technology, at 317-234-5889.  

Genealogy Classes Available from Ball State University Libraries

Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, 1876, Ball State University Libraries

Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, 1876, Ball State University Libraries

Mapping Your Roots:  Genealogy Classes Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) and the Archives and Special Collections will be conducting two genealogy classes for members of the community.  Melissa Gentry of the GRMC and Bethany Fiechter, Archivist for Manuscript and Digital Collections in the Archives and Special Collections, will share information about how to use library materials to search for ancestors.

The first class, Genealogy:  Traveling through Time, will be October 22 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Community Center for Vital Aging (CCVA) on the second floor of the Community Center for the Arts at 520 East Main Street in Muncie.  This session will focus on the available resources from Bracken Library and online sites for researching family history.

The second session will be held at Bracken Library on November 19 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. with transportation provided from the CCVA.  During the second class, participants will have access to the historic and cartographic materials in the Archives and the GRMC.

Both sessions are free to the public.  Please contact the CCVA to register for the classes at 765-289-4541.  For more information, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078 or the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

The Map as Art October Display in Bracken Library

The Map as Art Display in Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library includes a variety of cartographic resources in addition to the over 145,000 maps and atlases in the collection.  Some of these resources include books about cartography. 

The Map as Art: Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography by Katharine Harmon and Gayle Clemans was featured in O: The Oprah Magazine as a celebration of maps as artwork.  The book is available in the GRMC and includes 360 colorful, unique maps and accompanying essays.

The image above (click to enlarge) is called Man Cutting Globe, a lithograph from the Charles Cowles Gallery in New York by Vernon Fisher.  Fisher paints “highly realistic maps—or, in this case,…the vaguely menacing act of carving a globe as if it were a Halloween pumpkin.”  A copy of the lithograph will be featured on display in the windows of the GRMC through October 31.

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

World Breast Cancer Rates Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

World Map of Breast Cancer Rates Available from Ball State University Libraries

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  The Ball State University Libraries’ Atlas Collection and GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) feature atlases, maps, and other cartographic resources that detail the rates of breast cancer and other diseases around the world.

The map above (click to enlarge) shows the rates of breast cancer per 100,000 women in each country from 2002-2007, and is from the Penguin Atlas of Women in the World available from the Atlas Collection and the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library.  According to the atlas, “breast cancer is highest in the industrialized countries.  Europe and North America, home to under one-fifth of the world’s women, account for half of the world’s breast cancer cases.”

The map shows the darker green countries having the highest rates of breast cancer.  The lowest rates are the countries in bright yellow.  The map also shows the number of women who die each week (using data from 2002), with the United States and India holding the highest numbers.

The Atlas Collection and the atlases included in the GRMC cover a wide-ranging list of topics and themes and geographic locations from all over the world.  The Atlas Collection houses over 2,500 atlases, and the topical maps from atlases can be easily scanned and inserted into papers and presentations for the classroom or research—adding visual interest and impact.

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

Wednesdays Around the World:  Ball State University Hosts Weekly International Culture Exchange

The Ball State University Rinker Center for International Programs hosts a Culture Exchange each week where a student or group of students presents information about a country.  Most of the presentations are led by students native to that country, and every week a different country is highlighted.  The presentations are held in the Phyllis Yuhas Room in Student Center room 102 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) provides maps and charts and photographs from atlases as visual aids for the culture presentations.  The map posters from previous culture exchanges are available from Cardinal Scholar, an institutional repository at http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/ on the main Library page.  Simply type in the name of a country in the search box or choose the keywords “map poster” to see the list of countries available for printing or research.  Users can save the map file for use in the classroom, for presentations, or for other learning activities.

The Culture Exchange program begins tomorrow, September 19, with Isaac Larbi discussing Ghana.  The program schedule for the rest of the semester:

September 26              Morocco

October 3                    Bangladesh

October 10                  Iran

October 17                  Costa Rica

October 24                  Tajikistan

October 31                  Iceland

November 7                Kenya

November 14              Finland

November 28              Burkina Faso

December 5                 Ecuador

For more information about the Culture Exchange program, please contact Leslie Erlenbaugh at the Rinker Center for International Programs at 765-285-5422.  

Benghazi, Libya Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Maps in the News: Benghazi, 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.  The map shown above depicts the streets of Benghazi (Binghazi).  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 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.