LibGuides: Primary Sources: Maps

Maps as Primary Sources

Maps provide information you can't always get from a text source. Maps symbolize a particular place at a particular time. It is important to keep in mind that maps are not a mirror of reality -- the creator of a map chooses what to include and how to depict a certain place within the conventions of the cartography of the times.

Digitized Map Collections

The CBC Library does not have a collection of printed maps, other than a few atlases in the Reference and Oversize sections. However, there are many quality sources of digitized maps online. Here are a few librarian-favorites:

Barry Lawrence Ruderman Collection
Over 6000 historic maps from the Stanford University digital collection.
Charts and Maps
Historic maps from the National Maritime Museum (UK), Royal Museums Greenwich
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
More than 10,000 maps from a private collector.
Alabama Historical Map Archive
Maps from the University of Alabama Collection.
Map Collections at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress collection of digitized maps.
16th-20th Century Maps of Africa
16th- early 20th Century maps, Northwestern University Library
National Map: Historical Topographical Map Collection, from USGS
More than 140,000 topographic maps of the United States for the past 125 years, from USGS
Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection
Maps from the University of Texas collection.
Map Collections from the Louisiana Digital Library
Multiple collections of historical maps from the Louisiana Digital Library