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MAPS...
What are they?
What do they do?
Whether you love them, hate them, or somewhere in between, this information is for you.

What the UMass Dartmouth library has -

MAPS AND CHARTS IN THE UMASS DARTMOUTH LIBRARY

A map is a visual representation of information. It may include text to describe features (e.g. rivers, roads, mountains) or background (e.g. historical, sociological, ecological). When is a map a chart? If it is a visual representation of land it is a map. Water, air, the stars are all visually represented on charts.

The map cabinets on the second floor of the library contain a collection of charts and maps for all areas of the world, and beyond. Whether for information on a current event, for a design project, an assignment, or personal interest, this collection provides a wealth of information in graphic form.

Coastal Charts

The entire United States coastline, including islands, large lakes and major rivers are in this set. A chart indicates water features such as depth, navigation channels and the location of shoals and other sunken objects that are hazards to navigation. Shorelines and landmarks visible from the water are also included in these charts. This library receives the complete set from the U.S. government, kept in the map cabinets labeled "Coastal Charts." The charts are organized in numerical order from the Gulf of Mexico, going counterclockwise around the coastline to southern California. "Our" coastal area is the 13200 range. The highest numbers in the set are for Hawaii and the Virgin Islands. The location key for each chart is found in folded catalogs (resembling automobile maps) between book ends on top of the map cabinets.

Navigation Charts

These charts supplement the Coastal charts (above) supplying specific navigation information (e.g. buoy locations, speed of craft, tide tables) for mooring in harbors, bays and other natural shelters. The charts are folded in the same manner as the chart catalogs and are found in the file cabinets near the map cases. They are numbered in order with the coastal charts, and the location key for each area is found in the same chart catalog as the Coastal charts.

Aviation Charts

This library receives many aviation charts for the United States and several for flight around the world. The two largest series are for the scales of 1 inch per 250,000 feet and 1 inch per 500,000 feet. Each series covers the entire United States and is in government document classification order. If you prefer to browse , do so by the population center that gives its name to each chart (e.g. White Horse, Boston). These charts are folded in the same manner as the chart catalogs and are found in the file cabinets near the map cases. The location key for each chart is found in pamphlet catalogs between the book ends on top of the map cabinets.

Defense Mapping Agency Charts

The United States participates with many other countries in a treaty program to share navigational information for defense purposes. The collection and distribution of this information is the responsibility of the Defense Mapping Agency, an international organization. These maps are kept in order by letters, then numbers assigned to each letter stored in the map cabinets following the Coastal Charts. The index maps for this set are in the top drawer of the cabinets closest to the window as you face the center of the library.

Topographical Maps

Illustrations of physical features and elevation notation are important for campers, prospective property buyers, municipal planners and others. Topographical maps for Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are held in the map collection. Many of the Massachusetts maps are being revised and reprinted, but a portion are still in metric scale. In rural areas building locations supplement the other man made and natural features such as: highways, train tracks, rivers and hills. Elevations are noted and when these represent a body of water it is the elevation at the surface. The location key for each chart is found in folded catalogs (resembling automobile maps) between the book ends on top of the map cabinets. Just a minute... In map language a minute refers to 1/60 th of a degree, which is 1/360 th of a great circle (e.g. the planet Earth). Each minute can be divided into 60 seconds.

Maps of geographical areas (e.g. New England, South Africa)

The National Geographical Society and the Central Intelligence Agency are the major sources of general area maps owned by this library. The arrangement is by continent with a separate drawer for oceanic and island maps.

Thematic maps

Other drawers contain maps that illustrate history, geology, Native American population, fishing patterns, and bathymetric features (the illustration of ocean depth). Each drawer is labeled with the contents.

Posters of moon landings, national parks, commemorations

The posters that come to the library from the government document depository system provide a luxurious opportunity for serendipity.

Atlases are maps bound together as books.

The largest of these are on top of the map cabinets and on atlas cases near the map cabinets. The most detailed geographic atlas is the several volume Times Atlas of the World. Other large atlases of note are the Commercial and Marketing Guide and the National Atlas of the United States of America (vegetation, water resources, soil characteristics and much more). Smaller atlases are in the Reference "G" classification.

Goodes World Atlas (Ref G 1021.G6) is especially helpful for those who wish a map that will fit on an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet. A copy of this atlas is also at the Reference Desk. Looking for maps that just are outlines?

Use Maps on File (Ref G 1021.M33 1993 -- 2 volumes),
Historical Maps on File (Ref G 1030 .M376 1984)
State Maps on File (Ref G1200 .F3 1984--2 volumes)

"These maps are wonderful - I wish I could paper my room with them." There is a storage area on the second floor of the library where superseded maps and charts are available - FREE. The librarian at the reference desk can direct you to the location.

Sanborn Maps On Microfilm (third floor)

Sanborn maps describe the southeastern Massachusetts for the period of the second half of the nineteenth century. These maps were developed to illustrate insurable property. They are valuable not only to identify population and economic features but materials and design of buildings.

TIGER (Topologically-Integrated Geographic-Encoding-and-Reference System)

On CD-ROM - use the Voyager online catalog for a location number. Only borders and features, stored in format digital, are permanently kept in the system. A map in this format is rebuilt each time it is used. This is a digital version of Legos, which began as a method to collect the 1990 U.S.A. census information. Commercial compact disk map products use this database.

How to Read and understand a map or chart. YES, YOU can do it!

If you have never been comfortable interpreting a map these links will provide the support to become map-confident.

Finding your way with map and compass

How maps came to be, or, if we didn't already have them someone would have to invent them: Understanding and reading a map

Nautical chart symbols - Rocks, pilings, hulks and more

Try these on for size. These sites allow you to customize maps:

When using these sites you can apply variables (e.g. population, income, education level)

• Massachusetts electronic mapping : MassGIS Data Viewer requires the download and installation of Java Web Start (available on data viewer screen)
• TopoZone.com - A licensed site of the USGS. Fully searchable current topographic information for the United States.
• The World Factbook
• National Geographic Society Map Machine

Finding your Place, the Name Game:

When you know the name of a place, but you don't know how to locate it.

• U.S. Gazetteer

How to get there:

• MapQuest

Terrific map library links:

• University of Connecticut
• New York Public Library Map Collection
• Osher Map Library
• The University of Texas at Austin

All the Earth and the Moon too:

• Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) Data Center
• Earth and Moon Viewer
• Historic USGS Maps of New England - Complete geographical coverage of New England from the 1890’s to the 1950s using United States Geological Survey topographic maps.
• Portals to the World - authoritative, in-depth information about the nations and other areas of the world by Library of Congress Subject Experts.

The Changing Scene:

Any map is really a snapshot. Country names and borders may change both in war and peace. The earth itself keeps shifting. Volcanoes, earthquakes, floods and other natural and manmade forces cause changes in map features. These links help you to see, as they occur, changes in the earth's physical and political image.

• Cape Cod Environment - a collection of maps, and a compilation of imagery and photos that illustrate some important characteristics and problems of this unique piece of land, Cape Cod.
• Online Maps of Current Interest - Featured by the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection.
• Recent Natural Disasters Worldwide The United Nations global hub for time-critical information on Natural Disasters 
• Recent earthquakes in New England - An earthquake is added the day it occurs at the top of the list. Click on the map link for a map of the location.

Making It Fit:

• The Data Artist is a text site, but definitely worth the read. UMass Dartmouth owns books by this artist.

What is GIS???

• O.K., what is GIS?
• It's about DIME. AGI GIS Dictionary Created and maintained by The University of Edinburgh and the Association for Geographic Information this helpful site provides definitions for Geographical Information Systems terms and acronyms. In recognition that different communities can use different terms for the same concept the dictionary is searchable by country.

The World for a Song:

• Eric Riback's List of Geography Songs

More, more, more, much more:

• NorthEast Map Organization (NEMO) promotes communication among everyone interested in maps. The states comprising the geographical area emphasized Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
• Maps!
• Must-See Maps Mashups - A mashup is a website or application that combines content from more than one source into an integrated experience. Look at this map site for locations of fast food restaurants and where to jog off the calories.
• Hit the road.
• The longest highway ever established in the United States, Route 6,  begins (or ends) near this university.  Even if you are not going to walk the entire length, you can read the account of someone who did.