DHC 140 - Research Writing in the 21st Century

Digital libraries can provide you with primary documents about what was happening at times throughout history. Here are some recommended websites and meta-searchers:

Locate Geographic Features and Named Places

• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency provides information about geographic place names in multiple languages.

• Natural Earth is a public domain map dataset with information available at the 1:10m, 1:50m, and 1:110 million scales. The dataset features tightly integrated vector and raster data which enable you to make a variety of visually pleasing, well-crafted maps with cartography or GIS software. Natural Earth was built through a collaboration of many volunteers and is supported by the NACIS (North American Cartographic Information Society), and is free for use in any type of project (see our Terms of Use page for more information).

• Geographic Names Information System [GNIS] - This site from the U.S. Geological Survey has a Basic Query that enables you to search the database for all U.S. geographic features, an Advanced Search that uses additional fields for more complex searches.  This site also enables you to search for features in Antarctica and to search the database for U.S. geographic features using the relevant Census Codes, Class Codes, GSA Codes, and OPM Codes.

U.S. Government Agencies Involved with Mapping

• The U.S. Census Bureau is the most prolific creator of statistics and maps in the country.  You will be able to find resources for mapping Census data, gazetteers, the TIGER database, and much more.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service creates a great deal of maps for the National Wildlife Refuge program and for the countless reports they publish on animal life in this country.
• Geological Survey, U.S. (U.S. Department of the Interior) : oversees research and work pertaining to the geology of the country.  They publish a myriad of maps including topographic, thematic, geological, climactic, and biological just to name a few.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce): oversees a lot of functions having to do with the climate and weather like the National Weather Service .  NOAA's Central Library has current and historical daily weather maps going as far back as 1871.  The Office of Coast Survey has a collection of historical maps and charts going as far back as the 1700s.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (U.S Department of Agriculture): these folks are the publishers of the soil surveys that are created for just about every county around the country.

Collections

• Library of Congress Cartographic Collection is the largest and most comprehensive collection in the world. The online map collections represents only a small fraction that have been converted to digital form.

• The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers several mapping products through the National Map.
  • Public domain map data can be previewed and downloaded at The National Map Viewer.
  • The most up-to-date edition of their famous topographic quadrangle map, with the latest digital improvements, is available at the US Topo link.
  • You can create custom maps of the United States using hundreds of authoritative map themes in the National Atlas of the United States.
  • You can search for, view, and download any of the more than 200,000 USGS Topographic Maps dating back to 1884 in the Historical Topographic Map Collection.