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How To Find Maps

About Maps Collections at the Penn State University Libraries

The Pennsylvania State University Libraries are home to over 400,000 maps. The Maps Library in 1 Paterno Library (basement) holds topographic maps in addition to many other kinds of maps such as nautical charts, tourist and road maps, atlases, gazetteers and more. The Earth & Mineral Sciences Library holds some Pennsylvania Topographic maps as well as Geological maps. Historical maps, from before 1900, are housed in the Special Collections Library on the first floor of the Paterno Library.

Search for Maps in the CAT

You can search for, and request maps across all locations with The CAT, the Libraries’ online catalog.

To begin searching: Use the ADVANCED search page

Use keywords that answer the questions: "What place do I want to see?"

advanced search - place

What type of material (format) am I looking for?"

advanced search - format

"What type of map do I want?"

advanced search - type

You can also limit your search by format type in the advanced search screen. In the drop-down menu for Material Type, select "Map" Note that doing this may eliminate some potentially useful resources, because you will be eliminating maps that are not in sheet map form, such as those in books

drop down menu for material type

*Tip! When you have located a map using the CAT, be sure to write down the entire call number and its location. If the map is located at a campus or branch other than the one you normally visit, you may request that it be sent to your location by clicking on the blue "I Want It" button.

Types of Maps at Penn State Libraries, with keywords to search in the CAT

  • Aerial Photographs
    High-altitude photographs of specific areas
    Keyword(s): aerial photography, aerial views

  • Aeronautical Charts- charts used for air navigation
    Keyword(s): aeronautical charts

  • Geologic Maps- maps showing rock and other formations that appear underground
    Keyword(s): geology AND maps, place name To search for a specific location, search using the form "geology-place-maps," e.g. "geology — Pennsylvania — maps"

  • Nautical Charts- charts depicting various bodies of water, used for water navigation
    Keyword(s): nautical charts

  • Satellite Images- photographs of specific areas taken from satellites; resemble high-altitude aerial photographs
    Keyword(s): remote sensing, satellite meteorology

  • Topographic Maps- maps that illustrate the physical features of a location, including the area’s relief
    Keyword(s): topographic AND maps, place name

    • To search for a specific location, search using the form "place - maps, topographic" e.g. "Pennsylvania — maps, topographic"
    • To search for a specific series of a particular scale, search by title using the form "[scale] series topographic [state]," e.g. "15 minute series topographic Pennsylvania"

  • Travel Maps- a wide variety of maps including road maps, city/town maps, hiking trails, and much more
    Keyword(s): place name AND maps; cities and towns; maps, tourist;

 

Search for Maps Online

Locating Historic Maps (Using the Serial Set Database)

The libraries also have online access to the Serial Set Maps (1789-1969). The serial set contains House and Senate Documents and reports as well as Senate Executive Documents and Reports. The serial set maps are of historical significance, and were previously very difficult to access. The maps have been scanned at high resolution in both black & white and color.

To access the Serial Set Maps, go to http://alias.libraries.psu.edu/eresources/LNSSMAPS

There are two separate ways to access the maps in the Serial Set:

  1. Check Serial Set Maps on the Advanced form, leaving the drop-down option at the "All fields except full text" default to search: (See the Help files in the database for comprehensive instructions)

    serial set maps form

  2. "Check ‘Serial Set only’ (and not ‘Serial Set Maps’) to search the map captions in the main bibliographic record for the publication in which the map occurs. The map captions are a component of the illustration caption data. To limit the search to items with illustrations, use the checkbox provided as a Serial Set Only Option. To limit the search to illustration captions only, select "Illustration caption (Serial Set only)" from the search box drop-down list. Maps may be accessed in this way even though the user has not checked the Serial Set Maps option." (See the Help files in the database for more comprehensive instructions)

    Serial Set Only Option

 

Recommended Maps Web Sites

Online Atlases and Maps

Creating Maps Online

Geo-data Resources

Other Resources

Created by Anne Behler, Reference Librarian, University Park and Beth Roberts, Earth Sciences Librarian, University Park

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