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.

Freshman Common Reader Author Presentation

Where Am I Wearing on the Map: Ball State University Libraries Provide Cartographic Lesson for Freshman Common Reader

Kelsey Timmerman, author of the Ball State University Freshman Common Reader selection Where Am I Wearing? will present Common Threads: Searching for Community in our Globalized World on Tuesday, September 18 at 7:30 P.M. at Emens Auditorium.

Dr. Martha Payne, Assistant Professor in the Department of English, collaborated with the staff of the Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) to create a class assignment based on the book.  Students in Payne’s English 103 classes learned how to create interactive maps using Google Maps.  Groups were assigned sections of the book to map, so students created maps of Honduras, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and China depicting the locations of garment factories and other places from Timmerman’s travels.  One group created a map showing the notable places mentioned in the United States, including Muncie, Indiana—Timmerman’s current residence.  And another group created a map showing the immigration of Amilcar from Honduras to California (shown above).

The GRMC personnel are available to coordinate class assignments in a variety of courses using maps and other cartographic resources and GIS software.  The GRMC also provide custom orientation tours and instructional sessions.

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

World of Maps Class at the Community Center for Vital Aging

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be presenting a free class for the community featuring maps from the collection.  The class will be held at the Community Center for Vital Aging on Monday, September 17 from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M.

The World of Maps will explore maps from around the world—both old and new—maps of wildlife, women’s rights maps, maps about politics and elections, maps of fictional places, sports-related maps, historic maps of Muncie, and more.

The class is free and open to the public.  You may register for the class in advance by calling the Center at 765-289-4541.  The Community Center for Vital Aging is an extension of the Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology at Ball State University.  The program will be held at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts at 520 East Main Street in Muncie.  

Female Labor Force Percentages, Student Atlas of Anthropology, 

Ball State University Libraries Atlas Collection

Holiday Hours for the GRMC

The Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 3.  The GRMC will reopen at 8:00 on Tuesday, September 4.

New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish, Slidell Topographic Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Ball State University Libraries’ USGS Topographic Maps Show Locations of New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish, Slidell Levees


The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) maintains a collection of the U.S. Geological Survey topographic map quadrants covering the United States. These maps provide details of physical and manmade features and reveal elevation levels.

The map of New Orleans (click to enlarge) includes the location of the French Quarter, Vieux Carre, the Super Dome, and the Convention Center. Contour lines reveal the elevation levels—ranging from 14 to 21 feet on the north bank of the river to 0 to 5 feet in the southern part of the city.

The Belle Chasse topographic map shows the location of Braithwaite on the southern bank of the Mississippi River. The map shows the levee along the river that was breached in Plaquemines Parish. The blue symbols below the levee near the water identify a marsh area.

The topographic map of Slidell reveals the town’s location next to Lake Pontchartrain. The levee is located east of the marsh area, and a pumping station is next to the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. This levee breach is allowing water to flood the town of Slidell, located north of this map.

The GRMC maintains a collection of historic and modern USGS topographic quadrant maps that may be used to research development and environmental changes over time. These maps circulate for two weeks or longer and may be used for class projects.

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

GIS at Ball State: Free Overview Class Available

Ball State University Libraries Offers Free Class on Available GIS Resources

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a powerful set of spatially integrated analysis tools, currently used in numerous academic disciplines at Ball State University to extend advanced research and learning. 

Attend one of the free informational sessions to learn about the types of GIS resources available to the Ball State community. Topics will include software availability, online subscriptions, training opportunities, Ball State data inventory and support options. 

Two sessions will be offered, both in the GIS Research and Map Collection, Bracken Library Room 224: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 9:30 am - 10:30 am Wednesday, August 29, 2012 1 pm - 2 pm 

Please contact Angela Gibson, GIS Specialist, at 765-285-1097 for more information.

Geography of the Olympics

Geography of the Olympics: Classroom Resources Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) offers custom cartographic classroom resources available from the Cardinal Scholar institutional repository.  Cardinal Scholar allows users to access these invaluable resources from any location with Web availability.

The GRMC created a geography lesson for middle and high school teachers that incorporates the recent interest in the Olympic Games in London.  Geography of the Olympics is a worksheet listing all the previous and future sites of the Summer and Winter Olympics.  Teachers print a copy of a world map to accompany the GRMC worksheet, and students mark the locations of each of the Olympic sites.  The students then answer analytical questions about the Olympics based on trends on the map:  Which continents have never hosted any Olympics? Why were no Olympics held in 1940 or 1944?

Storybook Map of England is a map created by the GRMC to commemorate popular children’s literature written by English authors.  The London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony featured some of these popular books and characters. 

Teachers and student-teachers headed back to the classroom can find numerous other maps, cartographic tutorials, games, posters, lesson plans, map worksheets and other resources in Cardinal Scholar.  These classroom resources were developed specifically for K-12 teachers but may be used for any research and learning projects.  

To find all of the available resources from the GRMC in Cardinal Scholar, click on “Communities and Collections” on the left side of the page.  Scroll down to the Information Technology section and the GIS Research and Map Collection will be listed under University Libraries.  On the GRMC collection home page, click on “browse by title” in the middle of the page.  This lists all the titles in the collection.  For a more specific search, you may also enter a subject or geographic location such as “Africa” or a keyword such as “game.”  Users can save the documents for use in papers, presentations, or classroom activities or print any of the materials.

For more information about any of these classroom resources, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Ball State University Libraries' Maps of London

The Brilliant Earth: A Nocturnal Satellite Map, 1998, GRMC

2012 Olympic Games:  London Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library is featuring a display of London maps, including a map of the Olympic venues, a Google Earth map of popular London attractions, and a tourist map of London from the Map Collection. 

The GRMC includes a collection of hundreds of various maps of London and Great Britain, including maps of London architecture, panoramic maps, travel and tourist maps, subway maps, and historical reproductions dating back to the 1500’s.  The GRMC also has a collection of historic topographic maps of Great Britain published during World War II.  The Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library also includes hundreds of cartographic resources on Great Britain and London specifically. 

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

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

Ball State University Libraries’ Historic Topographic Maps Reveal Location of Submerged Town

From The Indianapolis Star:

The drought in Indiana has revealed a formerly submerged town in Huntington County in northeast Indiana.  Salamonie Reservoir was constructed in 1967, and the town formerly called “Monument City” was evacuated and submerged.  In the severe drought conditions this summer, the reservoir level is down 14 feet, exposing the foundations of houses and a school and a usable road.  The Department of Natural Resources has closed the town to visitors in order to protect artifacts.

The top map above (click to enlarge) is a USGS topographic map of Andrews from the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC).  The map details the terrain of the area as surveyed in 1950 and shows the location of Monument City.  The small cross to the west of Monument City depicts the location of a cemetery.

The second map (click to enlarge) is the same USGS topographic map of Andrews from the GRMC that was published in 1994.  The location of the Monument City Memorial Cemetery north of the former town shows where the cemetery was transplanted before the construction of the reservoir.

The GRMC maintains a collection of historic and current topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey covering the entire United States for research showing development.  Maps from the GRMC may circulate for two weeks or longer.

For more information, please contact the GRMC Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 4:30 during the summer at 765-285-1097.

Public Enemies: John Dillinger Gang Robberies Map Available from Ball State University Libraries

The GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) created the map Public Enemies: Robberies of the John Dillinger Gang (click to enlarge above) based on information from a book by Bryan Burrough, Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-1934 (available from the General Collection of Bracken Library) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Historic Famous Cases Web page.  The movie Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp is also based on the Burrough book.

John Dillinger was a legendary bank robber from Indiana who became America’s first “Public Enemy Number One.”  The map marks the locations of reported robberies of Dillinger and his gang beginning with a robbery in Daleville, Indiana in the summer of 1933.  Other events related to Dillinger are also featured on the map, including the location of his death in Chicago on July 22, 1934.

A copy of the map is available in PDF-format from the Ball State University Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar repository.  The original map is available for circulation for two weeks or longer from the GRMC.

Photojournalist Grady Franklin Exhibit at Ball State University Libraries

Old West Entertainment, Atlas of the New West

Grady Franklin Photojournalism Exhibit at Ball State University Libraries

Beginning Monday, July 16, “A Career in Photojournalism: The Work of Grady Franklin” will be on exhibit in the Archives and Special Collections on the second floor of Bracken Library.  The exhibit features the photographs, writings, memorabilia, and newspaper articles from Grady Franklin, including photographs of Western film stars and festivals.

The display also includes Franklin’s freelance photography for several Indiana businesses, organizations, and institutions, including Western Electric, Indiana Bankers Association, Crossroads Rehabilitation Center, The Indianapolis Star, Conner Prairie, and the Christian Science Monitor.

Several of Franklin’s Western Film Fair photographs are available online through Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository.  This digital collection will continue to grow to include photographs of conventions Franklin attended between 1979-1989 and ephemera ranging from 1979-2009.

The exhibit will be available until September 14.  A special viewing and open house with Grady Franklin will be held on Friday, July 27 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The exhibit was curated by Bethany Fiechter, Archivist for Manuscript and Digital Collections, with the assistance of Rob Fucela, Public History intern.

For more information, please contact Bethany Fiechter or the Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078.

Ball State University Libraries: Mapping the First Walk on the Moon

Small Steps:  Mapping the First Moonwalk

On this day, July 16, in 1969 the Apollo 11 mission launched into space, which landed Neil Armstrong on the moon.  On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Tranquility Base lunar module.  As millions around the world watched on live television, Armstrong spoke, “That’s one small step for [a] man, a giant leap for mankind,” as he stepped on the surface and became the first human to walk on the moon.

The map shown above (click to enlarge) was created by the United States Department of Interior and shows the location of the lunar module and the paths walked by Armstrong and astronaut Buzz Aldrin.  The map shows the American flag planted by the astronauts on the lunar surface, the television camera, and the locations of soil and seismic testing performed by the astronauts. 

In the book Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities by Frank Jacobs available in the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC), this map has been superimposed on a map of a baseball field to show the small area explored by the astronauts.   Armstrong only walked about 120 meters from the lunar module to the rim of a crater:

“After traveling hundreds of thousands of miles, the landing crew of the Apollo 11 lunar mission spent two and a half hours on the lunar surface and in that time barely covered an area the size of a baseball diamond.  Or, if your sports preferences lie elsewhere, half a soccer field, with Armstrong making just one dash at the other side’s goal.”

Strange Maps and many other atlases and cartographic resources are available from the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library.  The GRMC is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 to 4:30 during the summer.

Using GIS for Storytelling

Using GIS to Create Storytelling Web Maps

The summer edition of ArcNews, a newsletter published by GIS software manufacturer ESRI, details how users can create story maps with ArcGIS Online.  According to the article, “storytelling is rapidly becoming one of the most important reasons that organizations use GIS.”

A story map is an interactive GIS map that combines various data to tell a story about the world.  The maps include “web-enabled maps, text, multimedia content, and functionalities that enable users to interact with them.”  Organizations are creating these maps using ArcGIS Online and the storytelling map templates created by ESRI and available on the storymaps.esri.com  site and ArcGIS Online.

Some examples of story maps created using ArcGIS Online and viewable at storymaps.esri.com are guided tours of Olympic host cities, interactive maps of obesity and diabetes in the United States, access to healthcare, tornado zones, locations of uninsured Americans, and mapping the origins of snacks from around the world.  A story map about the sinking of the Titanic (shown) allows viewers to click on locations to see passenger lists, destination cities, and travelers’ class status and survival rates.

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) provides GIS resources that support research and learning.  The GRMC offers access to the leading GIS software and online GIS tutorials, datasets, online mapping applications, in-house GIS data, and one-on-one assistance from the GIS Specialist.  The GIS Research Area in the GRMC includes 28 computers and is available for personal or classroom use.  For more information, please call 765-285-1097 or visit the GRMC on the second floor of Bracken Library.