Maps and Cartographic resources: Home

The Collections

The Library's Map Room is the location for cartographic materials in a variety of formats. With a collection of over 200,000 sheet maps, 5000 atlases, 80,000 aerial photos, and 50,000 maps in microform, the map collection also has an expanding collection of maps in a digital format. The Map Room also has a collection of Sanborn fire insurance atlases, along with a teaching collection of globes and wall maps and has an extensive reference collection of gazetteers, place-name guides, geographical dictionaries, encyclopedias, bibliographies, directories, and guide-books.

The Map Room has three large worktables for patrons to use. Scans of maps in print or from microform can be made from the two computers located in the workstation area next to the 3rd floor service desk.

Also use the Virtual Map Room Tour to discover the what kinds of cartographic collections can be found in the Map Room.

Searching for a Map or Atlas in the collection

The maps, atlases and other cartographic materials are cataloged in the Classic Catalog or in SUMMON. A member of the staff will be glad to assist you with any questions you may have regarding the collections or finding the materials you need.

• Classic Catalog: To search only the map collection start by using the Advanced Search tab. Scroll down to Location and select E.S. Bird Library – MAPS from the drop down menu. Now enter your search subject terms and place names, etc. into the search boxes at the top to find maps and atlases
• SUMMON: Enter your search terms in the search box. When you see the list of results, look for the "CONTENT TYPE" in the facets list on the left. Click the "MORE ..." link under the "CONTENT TYPE" and then click the green check mark next to MAPS and then click the APPLY button at the top. You will now see a list of maps that match your search terms.

Circulation

Most maps can be circulated or checked out at the Maps/Documents Service Desk on the 3rd floor. A valid SU or SUNY-ESF ID is required. Atlases, Reference titles, and aerial photographs do not circulate. Please look for the map of the floor plan of the Map Room when you enter the collection where the various collections are located and a complete list of items that circulate.