Collection

The Vespucci Map Library is designed to be used by the historical researcher, both amateur and professional. The focus of the collection is on the history and landform features of the local area.

It is the hope of the Map Library that the maps in the collection provide researchers with a robust perspective of the changing social and physical landmarks of the area's past, while serving as a means of preservation of these maps for future generations of researchers.

Approximately 15,000 items--maps, atlases, and other reference materials--are included in the Map Library, and are accessible through the library catalog. The collection is composed of both physical maps and, when available, their digital surrogates.

Due to concerns of fragility and potential damage, paper maps that were published before 1961 are not available to be checked out; if a pre-1961 map has been digitized it will be available for download. Maps are stored flat but will be rolled in tubes for transportation and should never be folded. Hands must be clean and dry before handling paper maps, and food and drink are prohibited in the Map Library.

Many of the maps in the collection are in the public domain; however, when copying public domain maps we do ask that you credit the Map Library at the College of Illinois. Copyrighted maps are protected by the doctrine of fair use as long as they are used for educational purposes; reproduction for commercial use is prohibited without prior written consent from the copyright holder. Maps may be checked out for two weeks and renewed once. Cartographic literature may not leave the library.

References
Library of Congress Collections Care

Map and Geography Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas-Austin

Photo credit: Public Library of Cincinnati