The University of Toronto Map and Data Library: An Introduction

The University of Toronto Map Library is now the Map and Data Library of the University of
Toronto Libraries’ Reference and Research Services Department. The map collection is one of
four map collections at the University of Toronto. The University of Toronto at Mississauga and
Scarborough campus libraries both have smaller map collections available for use by the University
of Toronto community and the public. The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library Map Collection holds
most rare map material. A membership form must be filled to gain access to this last collection.

Who can use the Map Library?

All University of Toronto faculty, students, staff and members of the public are welcome to use the
facilities and paper collection of maps and atlases. Faculty, students, and staff only are eligible to
use our Geographic Information Systems data collection.

Address
130 St. George
th
5 floor, Robarts Library
Toronto, ON M5S 1A5
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 416-978-3931
Web: http://www.library.utoronto.ca/maplib

Hours
Regular Robarts open hours or http://link.library.utoronto.ca/library/hours/list.cfm

Collection Size
• 236,000 maps
• Hundreds of thousands of air photos (paper and digital)
• 16,000 atlases and books
• Hundreds of Geographic Information Systems datasets

Paper Map & Atlas Collection Overview

• Canadian maps from post-confederation era (1867) to the present – Older maps tend to be
held at the Fisher Rare Book Library - http://www.library.utoronto.ca/fisher/
• Maps of the world in both topographic and thematic form
• Maps of countries and cities of the world
• Topographic maps of world countries at varying scales
• Air Photos of Toronto from the 1950’s to present (note that most newer sets are now in
digital format)
• Fire Insurance Plans from the 1800’s to 1970’s in paper, microfiche, and digital format for
Toronto. The Fisher Rare book library holds a large number of original paper versions of
these for much of Canada. A full listing is available at:
http://www.library.utoronto.ca/maplib/fips.html
• Atlases covering the entire world on a varying array of subjects
• Modest but important collection of rare maps of Toronto, Canada, and Ontario
• Excellent collection of books on cartography, history of cartography, GIS, gazetteers, etc.
but not books on geography
•
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Micro-reproduction Map Collection
Collection of about 22,000 maps on microfiche and microfilm including the following major
collections
• Fire Insurance plans of Canadian cities
• Ontario Base Maps (topographic)
• Foreign Topographic Maps
• Library and Archives Canada Map collection reproductions

Borrowing Maps or Atlases

Maps and Atlases do not circulate

Map Reserves
Books, Atlases, and Maps can be set aside for classes. Maps set aside for classes or individuals
are located in the first set of map cabinets behind the reference desk. Books and Atlases on
reserve are held on shelf 3b behind the reference desk.

Scanning, Photocopying, and Printing Maps

One 36” X ~ map scanner, photocopier, printer, one 8.5” X 11” regular photocopier and several flat
bed scanners, one of which is 11” X 17”. Remember that Canadian copyright laws prohibit the copy
of more than 10% of any map that is not 50 or more years old

An Introduction to Maps and Cartography

What is a map?

The Idea of the Map

The map probably came to human beings as naturally as any other visualizing tool. They are now,
of course, just as ubiquitous as books, pie charts, the alphabet, or any other human visual tool. In
other words, maps are part of a core group of basic tools for human communication.

A map, in many ways, is also like any other facet of scholarly work. Like a book, an article, or an
essay, the map is an interpretation of information. Some maps, like other scholarly material, are
closer to the truth than others. Some cartographers are more honest than others, and some are
better interpreters of information than others. Just as there are better writers of history (or any other
discipline), there are also better cartographers.

The map, some have explained wisely, is a deconstruction and reconstruction of our world. With a
map, we take out the unimportant details and draw only that which concerns our attention.

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Broad Stages of the History of Mapping

Ancient Civilization

• Ancient Chinese maps – the first lost scientific maps

• Ptolemy, Alexandria, and the beginning of coordinate systems
• Ancient Roman Road Maps

Middle Ages

• Hereford and other Mappemunde Map (World Maps)

• Portolan Maps in the 15th Century

Enlightenment

• Mercator and the birth of the science/mathematics of map-making

• Age of Discovery Mapping

Modern

• Aerial Photography / Satellite Imagery

• Photogrammetry
• Global Positioning Systems
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Map Coordinates
The idea of coordinate or grid systems for the earth was around in ancient times at both Alexandria
and ancient China. Ptolemy was not the first to develop a coordinate system of longitude and
latitude or of a grid of the world, but his is the only system of ancient time that remains.

Latitude is measured from the equator, with positive values going north and negative values going
south. Longitude is measured from the Prime Meridian (which is the longitude that runs through
Greenwich, England), with positive values going east and negative values going west. So, for
example Toronto is at -79 degrees west longitude, +43 degrees north latitude or more specifically
43° 42' 00" N - 79° 25' 00" W below: adapted from: http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/teacher/latlon.html

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Map Projections
Maps also vary in terms of their projection. A projection is the mathematical method used to
display spherical earth (globe) in a two dimensional piece of paper or computer screen.

As you can imagine, flattening out a globe is not an easy or accurate method of depicting the world.
Mathematicians have been struggling since the beginning of modern cartography with the most
accurate method of projecting the earth. Gerard Mercator produced the most famous projection
in the 17th Century as a method for sailing by fixed rules and measurements.

Map Scale
Maps vary in size, shape, but most importantly they vary in scale. Scale is one of the most
important aspects of cartography. A large scale map is one that offers the most detail. For
instance, a map at 1:500 scale is much more detailed than a map at 1:1,000,000. While “500”
sounds “smaller” than “1,000,000” the real comparison should be the fraction “1/500” with
“1/1,000,000”. In which case, “1/500” is much “bigger” than “1/1,000,000”

Types of Maps
• Topographic Maps
Issued in series for countries at different set scales e.g. 1:50,000 1:25,000 etc.
Show general physical and cultural information following standard symbols and styles
• Special Purpose Maps
Maps where no one theme is emphasized.
Includes town plans, general reference map of a province, country, road maps, etc.
• Thematic Maps (divided into two main types)
Qualitative maps which show WHERE a phenomenon is found but not the quantity of it.
Examples of these are geology maps, soil maps, road maps, etc.
Quantitative maps which show HOW MUCH of a phenomenon is found for an area.
Examples of these include Economic maps, or census maps
• Photomaps
Air photographs, usually as part of a set of a large geographic area

Types of Atlases
• General Reference Atlases e.g. world atlases (many found on atlas stand near reference
desk)
• National Atlases Most countries in the world issue one (found in a specific call number range)
• Urban Thematic e.g. Census atlases
• Historical Atlases Again, most countries in the world produce one
• Special Topic Women, disease, etc.

Digital Maps
The Map Library is slowly digitizing/scanning and making available scanned historic maps. These
are available to view and download from: http://www.library.utoronto.ca/maplib/digital Other great
collections of historical reproductions of maps can be found at the following web pages:
Library and Archives of Canada http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/02015402_e.html
The Library of Congress in the United States http://memory.loc.gov/
A very good private collection of historical reproductions of maps is also available at
http://www.davidrumsey.com

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Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Most cartography is now done electronically using GIS. GIS is a computer application with the
capacity to assemble, store, manipulate, analyze, and display geographically referenced
information from digital data.
For an introduction to GIS, please see: http://www.library.utoronto.ca/maplib/gis.htm
As a result of this important cartographic development, the map library is now the repository for
many datasets and databases. The map library holds approximately 200 GIS datasets which
comprise in the hundreds of thousands of GIS files.

GIS and Disciplines other than Geography

The library also helps with the instruction of GIS on campus. Academics in many disciplines are
now using GIS in their research and teaching. For an example of non-geographers using GIS, see
http://hds.essex.ac.uk/g2gp/gis/index.asp or the book :

Knowles, Anne Kelly. Past time, past place : GIS for history. ESRI Press, c2002. G70.212 .P38
2002 and Hanna, Karen C. GIS for landscape architects. ESRI Press, c1999. SB 475.9 D37
1999

GIS Workshops
The Map and Data Library now has a 20 seat GIS instruction and public use lab. Workshops can
be arranged for specific courses. Different workshops will also be organized throughout the year
depending on demand and requirements. For more information or to book a workshop, please
contact [email protected]. When the lab is not being used for instruction, students will be
allowed to use the public computers for their own work.

GIS Workstations
Eight top of the line GIS workstations with dual monitors will be available for use during the Map
and Data Library Service hours. These workstations will have GIS, CAD, and Adobe suites
installed.

GIS Examples
The examples below are from a student’s assignment mapping out the various Reformed church populations
in Southern Ontario.

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Finding Maps
• All Canadian maps are indexed in the University of Toronto library’s online catalogue.
http://www.library.utoronto.ca
• All maps acquired after the year 1980 can be located using the library’s online catalogue.
http://www.library.utoronto.ca
• All maps acquired before 1980 can be located using the map library’s card catalogue

Online Library Catalogue

To locate maps in the library’s online catalogue, use the “advanced search” option from
http://www.library.utoronto.cal. In the first box, as in the image below, enter the subject “maps” and
select as subject, the geographic area for which you want to find maps. In the example, “Istanbul”
was typed. You can also specify the library you want to search and the location within this library.
In the example below, the library selected is the “Data, Map, & GIS (soon to change to Map and
Data Library)”, and the format:, -Maps. You could also use -Books or –Atlases if you wanted to
search for Books or Atlases with maps of Istanbul.

Advanced search option from the online library catalogue

This is an example of item found using search criteria above. Notice the Call Number :
G7434 .I8 11 2001 (All maps start with the letter “G” and all G’s are omitted from the call
numbers on the maps. When looking for the above item, look for “7434 .I8 11 2001”.)

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If you click on Details, you will see the following information:

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Guide to Call Numbers for Maps and Atlases
Area Maps Atlases
Africa 8200-8202 G2445-2447 New Zealand 9080-9084 G2795-G2799
Alberta 3560- G1165- Newfoundland 3460- G1187-
Antarctica 9800-9804 G3100-G3102 North Africa 8220-8314 G2455-G2499
Arabian Peninsula 7520-7604 G2245-G2249.94 North America 3300-3302 G1105-G1107
Arctic Ocean 9780-9794 G3050-G3064 Northeast Africa 8320-8364 G2500-G2524
Asia 7400-7402 G2202-G2202 Northeastern States 3710-3784 G1205-G1243
Atlantic Ocean 9100-9174 G2805-G2839 Northern and Southern
Atlantic Provinces 3420-3419 --- Hemispheres 3271- ---
Australasia 8950-8952 G2740-G2742 Northern Ontario 3510-3514 ---
Australia 8960-8964 G2750-G2793 Northwest Territories 3600- ---
Austria 6490-6494 G1935-G1939 Norway 6940-6944 G2065-G2069
Baltic States 7020-7054 G2120-G2139 Nova Scotia 3430- G1126-
British Columbia 3570- G1170- Nunavut 3535-3539 G1184.3-.34
Canada 3400-3402 G1115-G1117 Oceans 9095-9096 G2800-G2802
Canada Eastern 3410-3419 G1120- Ontario 3500-3530 G1145-
Canada Northern 3580- --- Ontario Districts 3510- ---
Canada Southern 3405-3406 --- Ontario Regions 3522- ---
Canada Western 3530-3532 --- Ontario Towns 3520- ---
Canadian Topographic 3400s --- Pacific & Mountain
Central Africa 8630-8734 G2590-G2639 States 4210-4384 G1460-G1534.24
Central America 4800-4874 G1550-G1594 Pacific Ocean 9230-9762 G2860-G3012
Central States 4040-4204 G1385-G1459 Prairie Provinces 3535-3537 ---
China 7820-7824 G2305-G2326 Prince Edward Island 3450- ---
Eastern Hemisphere 5670-5672 G1780-G1787 Quebec/Québec 3470-3500 G1140-
Europe 5700-5702 G1791-G1799 Russia 7060-7064 G2140-G2144
France 5830-5834 G1837-G1844.24 Saskatchewan 3550- G1160-
Germany 6080-6429 G1907-G1924 Singapore 8040-8044 G2384.3-G2384.34
Great Britain 5740-5814 G1807-G1829.24 South America 5200-5668 G1700-G1779
Greece 6810-6814 G2005-G2009 Southeast Africa 8400-8464 G2529.3-G2559
Greenland 3380- --- Southern Africa 8480-8624 G2560-G2584
India 7650-7654 G2280-G2284 Southern Ontario 3405-3406 ---
Indian Ocean 9180-9219 G2850-G2857 Southern States 3860-4033 G1280-G1377
Indonesia 8070-8074 G2400-G2439 Spain 6560-6564 G1965-G1969
Italy 6710-6794 G1983-1989.53 Sweden 6950-6954 G2075-G2079
Japan 7960-7964 G2355-G2259 Thailand 8025-8029 G2375-G2379
Korea 7900-7909 G2330-G2334.34 Toronto 3524 T6- G1149-
Latin America 3292- --- Turkey 7430-7434 G2210-G2214
Manitoba 3540- G1156- United States 3700-3702 G1200-G1202
Maritime Provinces 3420-3429 --- Vietnam 8020-8024 G2370-G2374
Mexico 4410-4763 G1545-G1549 West Africa 8734-8904 G2640-G2739
Middle Atlantic West Indies 4900-5184 G1600-G1694
States 3790-3852 G1245-G1279 Western Hemisphere 3290-3292 G1100-G1102
Minnesota 4140-4144 G1425-G1429 World 3200-3210 G1001-G1046
New Brunswick 3440- G1130- Yukon 3590- G1179-

Finding GIS Map Data

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/maplib

Map Collection Layout (5th floor Robarts Library) … coming soon!

Last Updated: Friday September 10, 2009
h:\my documents\courses.classes.presentations\courses_classes\handouts_orientation\generic.doc or
http://www.library.utoronto.ca/maplib/docs/mapintro.pdf