Research Guides: Geography & Earth Sciences: Maps

Atlases

Almost all atlases include maps, and also often contain supplementary information on their subjects.

The Library's atlases and maps are located on the second floor, in multiple cases. Some of the most-used atlases, like reference books, can be consulted in-house only. Other atlases are part of the circulating collection and can be checked out.

Maps in the Auraria Library

Skyline
Search for books, journals, videos, and databases. Verify that Auraria Library owns or does not own an item, in print or online, by running a search here. It does *not* search for articles.

The main physical Maps Collection is on the Library's 2nd floor within cabinets and cases. Highlights of the collection, include:

USGS topographic maps of Colorado and surrounding areas
Reproductions of historic city maps, political maps, and subject-specific maps for many fields, including demography and geology

Maps in this collection may be checked out of the library!

Superintendent of Documents (SuDocs) Classification Scheme
This is a system of library classification developed by the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO) to classify federal government documents.

You'll get the classification number/letter combination you need to find a map, also known as the call number, in the record retrieved from your Start my Research search.

Maps with differing call number systems are in separate drawers in the Maps Collection cabinets, and the three systems share roughly similar concepts i.e., the call numbers are in alphabetical and numeric order, are read left-to-right, etc. All maps published by the State of Colorado are located in the drawer labeled “Colorado.” Some maps are differently sized, so you might need to look at the cases on both sides of the collection.

Remember, if you need help finding a map, the library staff will be more than happy to assist you!

Online Maps

National Geological Map Database (NGMD)
Contains digital copies of over 90,000 recent and historic geologic maps of the United States and its territories. Features an advanced search, an index of geologic terms, information about current geologic mapping projects, and MapView, a map-based visual browsing interface.
USGS Topographical Map Locator
The USGS provides this Google Maps-based tool to help users locate, view, and download current and archival topographic maps. File sizes can be large; be prepared for lengthy downloads.
Geo.data.gov
A subset of data.gov, this site allows users to search or browse for United States government maps and geo-spatial data. This is not a complete collection, but it does allow for broad cross-collection searches.

AtoZ Maps Online This link opens in a new window
A database of world, continent, country, and state maps. Included in the 4,000+ maps are: political, physical, outline, population, precipitation, climate, and other thematic maps.
Social Explorer Professional This link opens in a new window
Create and save demographic maps and reports down to the U.S. neighborhood and street level using U.S. census data, the American Community Survey, and the Religious Congregations and Membership Study. Visually analyze and understand demography and social change throughout U.S. history. Also useful in developing an understanding of the census data is an e-book on the history of the census, Measuring America : the decennial censuses from 1790 to 2000.Tip: Start with the maps and tables.

University of Colorado Boulder Libraries: Map Library Collection
Includes Sanborn Maps, historical aeriel photos of Colorado, mining maps and more.
University of Colorado Boulder Digital Collection: The Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Collection
Contains digital versions of maps made by D.A. Sanborn insurance company of 79 cities in Colorado between the years of 1883 and 1922. The complete print collection covers 560 cities 1883-1937, and can be viewed by appointment.
Map Collections of the Library of Congress
This collection contains the maps in the Library of Congress Geography and Maps Division which have been scanned into a digital format. Contains historic and recent maps, but focuses on maps in the public domain.

A Guide To Map Terminology

Glossary of Cartography and Map Terminology
This glossary, from Maps for America, Third Edition offers a brief list of cartographic terms.

Other Notable Historic Map Sites on the Web

Historic Maps & Atlases: Enhanced for Cultural, Political, and Societal Analysis

Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States
Maps from an atlas published in 1932, are enhanced and animated to show change over time or made clickable to view the underlying data. Some data highlighted include location of Native Americans, Distribution of Wealth, Boundaries, Political Parties and Opinions, and more.

Historic Maps & Atlases: Allowing Geospatial Analysis

Digital Atlas of Roman and Medieval Civilizations
The Digital Atlas of Roman and Medieval Civilization (DARMC) makes freely available on the internet materials for a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach to mapping and spatial/temporal analysis of the Roman and medieval worlds.

Historic Maps & Atlases: General

Hargrett rare book and manuscript library rare map collection
Early maps of colonial and revolutionary America and of Georgia from revolutionary times through the nineteenth century including Georgia city maps, maps of Georgia's coastal areas and transportation maps including rail, river, and highway maps.
David Rumsey Map Collection
Historical map collection with over 38,000 maps and images online. The collection focuses on rare 18th and 19th century North American and South American maps and other cartographic materials.
Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Maintains a collection of historic maps spanning the sixteenth century through the early twentieth century. Although not limited to a single geographic subject, the collection heavily emphasizes Georgia as colony and state.

Links to Thousands of Maps Online

WWW Virtual Library
Images of early maps on the web