The American Geographical Society

LibraryUW-Milwaukee

Patti Day

Reference Librarian for Digital Spatial Data

American Geographical Society Library

P8d@uwm.edu

WLIA February 2003

A Brief History of the AGSC

The collection of the AGS, located in NYC

Started in 1851

Oldest geography and map society in the US

By 1870 the collection was recognized as the “largest and most valuable” of it’s type in the US

Produced maps/books/indexes, and sponsored expeditions

Many items from the collection were used at the Paris Peace Conference after WWI

Still affiliated with the AGS

Moved to UW-Milwaukee in 1978

At the time of the move the collection was conservatively valued at $30 million

The AGS building in New York

AGS Executive Director Sally Meyers, Gov. Schreiber

The Present Collection

Over 1 million items, including maps, atlases, books, journals, pamphlets, photographs, slides, landsat images, and digital spatial data

Scope of the collection is worldwide

Houses the archives of the Association of American Geographers

Affiliate member of the USGS Earth Science Information Center (ESIC) network

Approximately 600,000 maps and charts of all types covering the world at a wide range of scalesIncluding major national topographic series, navigational charts and a wealth of thematic mapsThe oldest map in the collection dates to the Leardo Mappamundi of 1452Over 9000 atlases ranging from 15th century to digital data, including 23 editions of Ptolemy’s Geographica dating to 1478

Hundreds of world, sea and regional atlases produced by the greats of atlas publishing:

Ortelius, Mercator, Hondius, Blaeu, Sanson, Coronelli and Homann

Large collection of nineteenth century state and county atlases

Monographs dating to 1472, containing some of the earliest printed geographical works. Themes include:

The history of geographical thought and knowledgeThe Age of DiscoveryExploration and mapping of the USScientific explorationThe history of cartographyDescriptive regional geographical worksModern and early reference works

Periodicals—the Geographical Review (1970) concluded that “the leading American library in recorded holdings of older geographical serials, those which began publication before 1950, is the library of the American Geographical Society.”Photographs—over 200,000 images in a variety of formatsGlobes-83 globes

Who are our users?

Researchers from around the worldBest Fellowships

Genealogists StudentsEnvironmental firmsGovernment employee’sMap folks

Louise Boyd photograph

Poland, 1934

Preservation

Digital Data at the AGSCThe AGSL collects and archives digital data files which are made available to users in a variety of formatsIncluded are digital base maps, attribute data on spatially referenced population characteristics, including non-GIS files Raster images such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, and scanned mapsAll of the collections are global in scaleTrains future GIS librarians through SOIS/AGSC/Geography Department

So, what has this to do with you?

Come check it out while you are in town!!

The AGSL actively collects locally produced digital data in order to preserve it for future generations

All items are cataloged to provide access to UWM students/faculty/staff

We take our mission of protecting and providing access to this data seriously

We sign license agreements, create forms indicating restrictions, and screen all usersWe are sensitive to the needs/requirements of data providersWe provide off-site storage for some countiesWe can’t do this without the cooperation of you and your organizationBe a part of 152 years of geographical knowledge