From Washington to the world: maps and digital archives at the Library of Congress

Abstract

This paper offers an overview of the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division and its efforts to digitise the collection. The number of hard copy maps is huge: over 5.5 million, most of them un-catalogued. New maps continue to be added to the collection, some in new, digital formats. The Library of Congress has been in the forefront of developing digital collections and providing digital access to its collections via the Internet. The Library's American Memory collection is described here, from its origins in the 1980s to its current format. American Memory's access to the Geography and Map collections is profiled, with features of the digital collection presented in detail. American Memory is constantly undergoing revision. The Geography and Map division currently features collections highlighting the American Civil War, Liberia, the Revolutionary war, early railroad maps, the Louisiana Purchase, and U.S. National Parks. The wealth of information contained in the map collection makes these digitisation efforts worthwhile even though only a small percentage of the total items can be posted online.