BTAA-GIN Collection Stories

By Mech Frazier, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist, Northwestern University Libraries   The boom of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recent years has made a significant impact on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), including applications of Deep Learning (DL). Applications of DL have revolutionized GIS tasks, such as detecting sensitive mangrove environments 1 , identifying global building footprints 2 , and even locating beaver complexes in complex forest landscapes 3 . DL, a subset of Machine Learning (ML), uses neural networks to detect objects, classify pixels, and perform segmentation 4 .  Recent advancements in DL have led to significant improvements in both model quality and usability, with prebuilt models and tools that simplify workflows. GIS applications like ArcGIS Pro and QGIS have made available tools and plug-ins to streamline the process of DL.  This blog post will focus on one aspect of DL: object detection using aerial image...

Jose Anza Garcia and Milan Budhathoki, GIS and Data Service Center , University of Maryland Libraries At the University of Maryland's McKeldin Library, we are proud and fortunate to possess a map collection featuring over 200,000 items. It spans a wide degree of subject categories (topographic, nautical, aeronautical, etc.) and formats (print maps, atlases, raised relief models, etc.). In addition, through the library's designation as a Regional Depository Library by the Federal Depository Library Program, the map collection also holds countless government-produced documents of important historical and cultural value.  A top-down map of the library's 4th floor, which houses the map collection (red square). Examples of different storage furniture items: at left, cabinets, and at right, atlas bookcases. However, the sheer size and scope of the map collection mean that a comprehensive catalog of all its contents does not exist at this time, making it hard for the library's...

In March 2025, Sue Oldenburg and Francesca Giannetti interviewed Michael Siegel, Staff Cartographer, Department of Geography, Rutgers–New Brunswick. Mike is the creator and maintainer of the eminently browsable Historical Maps of New Jersey , Rutgers' oldest digital cartographic information resource, which continues to inform and delight map fans to this day. We discussed the origins of his site, the process of creating and maintaining it, and its enduring value to educators, researchers, and the community. Figure 1. A screen capture of Mike Siegel from our Zoom interview. Project Beginnings The impetus for Historical Maps of New Jersey was a 2002 exhibit held in Alexander Library called “The Changing Landscape of New Brunswick, New Jersey.” Mike co-curated the exhibit with Dr. Briavel Holcomb, Professor Emerita of the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Most of the maps were selected from Special Collections and University Archives , Rutgers University Libraries....

By Tara Anthony, Penn State University Libraries Geological maps are a valuable resource for understanding characteristics of earth properties through rock and mineral formations. Historical geological maps held within map collections can span geographic areas and be useful for understanding regions across administrative regions, such as state borders. The BTAA Geoportal  can be a source for identifying where to look for historic geological map collections within BTAA institutions. This blog post will highlight what types of geological maps are able to be located from the BTAA Geoportal  as of Spring 2025. Geological maps are a resource type for narrowing down specific map types. See this search for Resource type (Geological maps)  for results. These historic geological maps are primarily from the early half the 1900s, with some earlier geological maps as well that date back to the mid-1800s. Of the results, the following institutions have materials clas...

 By Theresa Quill   Featured Item or Collection: Indiana Historic Maps; Indiana Sanborn Maps   One of the most distinctive landmarks on the Indiana University Bloomington (IU) campus is a small creek, sometimes optimistically referred to as a "river" that flows through the heart of campus. In the spring, students hang hammocks along its bank, classes take samples to study water quality, and the campus maintains a large green space in central campus because periodic floods preclude any new buildings from encroaching on the creek. This creek is currently called The Campus River, though it has had other names throughout IU's 200+ year history.   The Campus River on a snowy day. Photo Credit James Brosher/Indiana University Scanned maps from the Herman B Wells Library's Map Collection help us trace not only the name changes of this campus landmark, but also the environmental impact the creek has had on the town.   ...

By Jay Bowen - GIS Specialist, The Digital Scholarship & Publishing Studio, The University of Iowa Libraries  The BTAA Geoportal has a wealth of interesting and beautiful historic scanned maps available to the public to download. Recently, I discovered John Henry Renshawe's shaded relief maps of US national parks from the early 1900s. Using his Panoramic View of the Yosemite National Park, California from 1914, I wanted to demonstrate an open-source technique for adding three dimensionality to these fantastic relief maps. Download and Georeference the JPG File The first step is to download the map here and load it into a georeferencer tool in your favorite GIS software. While I find georeferencing in ArcGIS Pro to be an intuitive breeze, I used the Georeferencer tool in QGIS to keep with an open-source and MacOS-oriented workflow. You can do a lot of amazing GIS work in the comfort of your home with a MacBook! As shown in the screenshot above, I rubbersheeted the ...