MAP LIBRARY

The Map Library is located on the second floor of the Madden Library and contains over 143,000 maps. The collection has worldwide coverage, but focuses on California and the Central Valley. It also has a large collection of atlases and gazetteers; aerial photographs primarily of Fresno County; and digital mapping resources on CD-ROM. The core collection consists of maps published by U.S. federal and California state agencies such as the USGS, Forest Service, CIA, National Ocean Survey, and National Imagery and Mapping Agency, most of which are acquired through the U.S. and California depository library programs.

 

The collection primarily supports the teaching, research, and reference needs of the university faculty, students, and staff. The Map Library is open to the public and welcomes community use of its resources.

 

Hours

The Map Library is open fewer hours than the main Library. Hours for the Map Library are listed under "Areas with Special Hours" in the Calendar of Library Hours.

 

Circulation

Most maps may be borrowed at the Map Library Service Desk for use outside the Library. Atlases, gazetteers, aerial photos, microforms, and most CD-ROMs are for use only in the Library. The general policies established by the Madden Library Circulation Department are followed in the Map Library.

 

Equipment

The Map Library has a light table, magnifying glasses, microfilm and microfiche readers, a photocopier, and a computer workstation for using its CD-ROM, GIS, and Internet resources.

Map Library Directory

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Maps

Topographic Maps

• USGS: 7.5' and 15' quadrangles for states west of the Mississippi (including quads for California); United States at 1:1M, 1:125,000 and 1:100,000
• California topographic maps on CD-ROM: Timberline and Topo USA
• Mexico: large scale series
• U.S. Defense Mapping Agency: WWII-era maps of many areas of the world (over 32,000 sheets)

City Maps and Road Maps

• Road maps for U.S. states and major cities, for many California cities, and for major cities around the world

Geologic Maps

• USGS map series including: Geophysical Investigations (GP), Geologic Quadrangles (GQ), Geologic Investigations (I), Hydrologic Investigations (HA), Miscellaneous Field Studies (MF), and Mineral Resource Investigations (MR)
• California Division of Mines and Geology (CDMG) maps including: geologic maps of California, Bouguer gravity maps, map sheet series, Seismic Hazard Maps, and Alquist-Priolo Fault Maps.
• Dibblee Foundation geologic maps
• Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology maps
• Geological Society of America maps

Nautical Charts and Bathymetric Maps

• U.S. National Imagery & Mapping Agency (NIMA): Charts for foreign waters
• U.S. NOAA: charts listed in catalogs 2 (Pacific Coast), 3 (Alaska), and 5 (U.S. Bathymetric and Fishing Maps)

Aeronautical Charts

• U.S. National Imagery & Mapping Agency: ONC (Operational Navigation Charts) and TPC (Tactical Pilotage Charts) series

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

Land Ownership Maps

• Fresno County Plat Maps, Books 1-42 (microfilm and some paper)
• Fresno County Real Estate Atlas (microfiche)
• California Land Survey (microfiche)

 

Access to the map collection: While many maps can be located through ALIS, the entire map collection is not yet listed. Please ask for assistance at the Map Library Service Desk. Maps will be retrieved for you by the Map Library staff. Most maps can be borrowed for use outside the Library.

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Atlases

The atlas collection includes general world atlases and atlases focused on specific areas and subjects. Some examples are:

• Geologic Atlas of California (Maps fff G 1526 C5 C3 1958)
• California Water Atlas (Maps fff G 1526 .C3 C3 1979)
• Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States (Maps f G 1201 S1 P3 1932)
• Vietnam: National Atlas (Maps fff G 2370 V54 1996)
• World Atlas of Desertification (Maps f G 1046 J4 M5 1997)

 

Access to atlases: All atlases in the Map Library can be found through ALIS. Atlases are shelved by size and call number in the public area of the Map Library. They are for use only in the Library.

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Gazetteers

Gazetteers are used to locate place names on maps. They usually give the latitude and longitude, and sometimes the origin of the name. Some examples are:

• Columbia Gazetteer of the World
  Maps Reference   G 103.5 .C645 1998 (also in Reference)
• California Place Names: a Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State
  Maps Reference   G 103 .U53 (also in Reference)

 

Access to gazetteers: Most gazetteers can be found through ALIS, are shelved in the public area of the Map Library, and are for use in the Library.

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Aerial Photographs

• Flights of Fresno County from various years between 1937-1993, with varying coverage
• CALTRANS flights of Madera, Kings, Kern, and Tulare counties in the early 1990s

 

Access to aerials: Aerial photos will be retrieved for you by the Map Library staff. They are for use only in the Library.

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Digital Mapping/GIS Resources

• Rand McNally Tripmaker
• Street Atlas USA
• California Topographic Maps: Timberline and Topo USA
• U.S. CensusLandview III: Environmental Mapping Software
• CensusCD+Maps
• U.S. Census Tiger 97
• ARCView

 

Access to CD-ROMs: CD-ROMs are available at the Map Library Service Desk for use in the Library.

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Sanoian Special Collections

Historical maps and atlases of pre-1900 California and pre-1915 Fresno.

 

Government Documents Department

U.S. Soil survey reports and maps for the states west of the Mississippi, and several USGS and California Division of Mines and Geology report series that often include maps, (see the guide to USGS and CDMG Series Locations).

 

Reference & Other Areas

Maps, atlases, and gazetteers located in other library areas, such as Reference and the stacks, can be located through ALIS. Atlases in Reference include the most recent editions of Rand McNally's Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide and Standard Highway Mileage Guide.

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Map Collections in the Western U.S. and Canada

Map Libraries on the World Wide Web

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Send comments or inquiries to
Carol Doyle
Head, Government Documents & Maps
California State University, Fresno
Henry Madden Library