Librarian
Benjamin Aldred
They/Them or He/Him
Contact:
Daley Library
801 S. Morgan St.
2-131 LIB
Chicago, IL 60607
801 S. Morgan St.
2-131 LIB
Chicago, IL 60607
(312)413-2594
Online Map Collections
- National MapThe National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response. The National Map is easily accessible for display on the Web, as products and services, and as downloadable data.
- USGS StoreOn this page you can download USGS maps (7.5', 15', and 30' topographic quadrangles) in TIFF or PDF format- for free.
- Chicago L mapsThese files are scans of authentic antique and contemporary "L"TM maps from throughout the century.
- Library of Congress Map Collection Online
The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress holds more than 4.5 million items, of which Map Collections represents only a small fraction, those that have been converted to digital form.
The focus of Map Collections is Americana and Cartographic Treasures of the Library of Congress. These images were created from maps and atlases and, in general, are restricted to items that are not covered by copyright protection.
- David Rumsey Historical Map CollectionThe collection focuses on rare 18th and 19th century maps of North and South America, although it also has maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The collection includes atlases, wall maps, globes, school geographies, pocket maps, books of exploration, maritime charts, and a variety of cartographic materials including pocket, wall, children's, and manuscript maps. Items range in date from about 1700 to 1950s.
- Illinois State Highway mapsFrom the Illinois Digital Archives, state highway maps from 1917 through 2008 - your tax dollars at work.
- NOAA Online Chart ViewerThe National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Coast Survey viewer for coastal charts. A bit clunky but you can see the charts eventually.
- New York City Maps from the NYC Public LibraryFrom the remarkable collection of the New York Public library, this collection has approximately 2,000 images available.
- Historical Map Overlays - National Library of ScotlandHistorical maps of Scotland, primarily from Ordnance Survey maps.
- Institut Cartografic de CatalunyaEnglish translation.
- Third Military Mapping Survey of Austria-HungaryMostly in Hungarian, this is a good collection of Central and eastern European maps from the early 20th Century.
Online Maps from Elsewhere
- Directory of UK Map CollectionsList of map collections in the U.K. Produced by the British Cartographic Society.
- Illinois Public Land Sales ArchivesHistorical records of sales of land from the public domain in the 19th century.
Map Blogs
- The Map RoomThe Map Room is a blog about maps by Jonathan Crowe. It covers everything from collecting to the latest in geospatial technology from a generalist’s perspective.
- Strange MapsFrank Jacobs loves maps, but finds most atlases too predictable. He collects and comments on all kinds of intriguing maps—real, fictional, and what-if ones—and has been writing the Strange Maps blog since 2006.
- Map of the WeekMap of the Week will bring a quality blog product every week, with the occasional extra map of the weekend or other special event.
- Making Maps: DIY CartographyThis blog highlights resources that supplement the Making Maps book by John Krygier and Denis Wood and help you to make better maps. Like the Making Maps book, this blog also provides examples of creative and provocative maps and material on map making and understanding, culled from contemporary and historical sources.
- Google MapsSure we all know how to find the nearest Starbucks on Google maps but they also allow you to create (in the loose sense) your own maps using the My Maps tab on the left side. Map places and routes you know. Add text, photos, or video, and share the results. Help information available on the My Maps tab.
- Google EarthUnlike Google Maps, Google Earth is a program that you download onto your computer. But like Google Maps it is more than just a pretty picture. You can use KML (Keyhole Markup Language) with it to put you on set of push pins, photos and polygons on the earth.
Interactive Maps Online
- On the Map - from the Census BureauStart an analysis by using one of the tools below (Search, Import Geography, or Load .OTM file). Hover over the Help icons located throughout the application to see Help tips for using specific functionality. Sections in the control panel can be collapsed or opened by clicking the section title.
- Census AtlasFor those who like to see a picture of the Census data, the Census Bureau produced this PDF Atlas of the information including text tables and maps going back into the 1800s.
- Chicago AncestorsCreated and maintained by Newberry Library, this is a free website where you can find and share historical information about Chicago. And it is done with MAPS!
- Visualizing Urban GeographiesThe maps show geo-referenced historical maps overlaid upon Google maps, satellite and terrain layers. The maps are primarily in Scotland and Britain.