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      - Library of Congress Geography & Maps: An Illustrated Guide
      - Introduction

# Library of Congress Geography & Maps: An Illustrated Guide

Maps and atlases have been part of the Library's collections since its founding in 1800. Since then, the collection has expanded to include globes, aerial photos, special collections, and datasets. This guide explores these diverse holdings.

            - Introduction
            - General Collections Toggle Dropdown               - Single-Sheet Maps 
              - Multi-Sheet Map Sets
            - Atlases Toggle Dropdown               - Cities and Counties 
              - European Atlases 
              - Regional, National, and World Atlases 
              - Sea Atlases 
              - Thematic Atlases
            - Special Collections Toggle Dropdown               - African Maps 
              - Asian Maps 
              - Military Map Collections 
              - North and South American Maps 
              - Special Format Maps
            - 3D Objects and Geospatial Data Toggle Dropdown               - Aerial Photographs and Images 
              - Digital Data and Geographic Information Systems 
              - Globes and Terrain Models
            - Using the Library of Congress Toggle Dropdown               - Using the Map Collections

## Geography & Map: Ask a Librarian

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**Authors:**Ralph E. Ehrenberg, *Chief, Geography and Map Division (retired) *

Kelly Bilz, *Librarian-in-Residence, Geography and Map Division*

**Note:** This guide is adapted from the 1996 edition originally prepared by Ralph E. Ehrenberg et al., former specialists in the Geography and Map Division.

**Created: **1996

**Last Updated:**April 30, 2021

#                      Introduction                     

Maps and atlases have been an important part of the collections of the Library of Congress since its beginning in 1800, when a joint congressional committee purchased three maps and an atlas from a London dealer. Since then, the Library's cartographic holdings have grown to more than 5 million map sheets, 105,000 atlases, 138,000 microfilm and microfiche items, 5,500 globes, 2,000 terrain models, 1.6 million aerial photographs and remote sensing images, and thousands of digital files.

The Geography and Map Division has custody of the bulk of the Library's cartographic materials. Established in 1897 as the Hall of Maps to serve Congress and federal agencies, the Geography and Map Division today functions as the National Map Library. Its primary responsibility is developing the Library's cartographic collections. An average of some seventy thousand items are acquired yearly through government deposits, transfers of superseded maps from federal libraries, copyright deposits, domestic and international exchanges, purchases, and gifts. These range from rare atlases to geospatial data, but the major focus of the Geography and Map Division acquisition program is acquiring current materials from all countries. While many of the current items are acquired through exchanges and deposits, the division relies heavily on public-spirited citizens to assist in the acquisition of rare maps and unique collections. The cartographic collections date from the fourteenth century and cover virtually every country and subject.

### Antoine Lafréry. *[Scandinavia.] Geografia tavole moderne di geografia de la maggior parte del mondo...* 1575. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

### Georg Braun and Franz Hogenberg. *Civitates Orbis Terrarum.* 1612. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

### *Map of the World, from 1513 Ptolemaic atlas.* 1513. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division.

Maps acquired by the division since 1968 have been cataloged. As a major service to the map library community, the division establishes, maintains, and disseminates national standards for classifying and cataloging maps and atlases through the MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) Map system.

In 1901, Philip Lee Phillips, the first chief of the Hall of Maps, reported to the Librarian of Congress that: "This collection, which is the largest extant, will in time be of great value, not only to the cartographer, but also to the historian." Due to the tireless efforts of Phillips and five generations of map librarians, the Geography and Map Division's collection of cartographic materials is of even greater value today. In addition to cartographers, geographers, and historians, the collection is heavily used by genealogists, preservationists, urban planners, ecologists, and scientists.

In an effort to reach a wider audience and to further develop, enhance, and promote the Library's geographic and cartographic collections, the Geography and Map Division established the Philip Lee Phillips Society, an association of friends of the division, in 1995.

***Please note:***

        - **Next:** General Collections >>

      -  Last Updated:  Sep 25, 2024 4:24 PM 
      -  URL:  https://guides.loc.gov/maps-illustrated-guide 
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Subjects: Geography, History

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