Maps for Our Maps: Improving access to Historic Maps

with Interactive Indexes

@Theresa QuillGIS Librarian

Indiana University Bloomington#dlbb

About the Collection● Created by Russian Red

Army for internal use, 1890-1945

● Captured during World War II

● See Wired article for more information: http://www.wired.com/2015/07/secret-cold-war-maps/

You can trace the maps’ history through various library stamps

Barriers to access

● Heavily used collection, not enough staff time

● Place names changed● Maps in Russian● Original index maps

unreadable

Cooperative MappingThis project builds on work by Christopher Thiry, from the Colorado School of the Mines.

Upon completion, it will be added to his collaborative index project.

http://rmr.asprs.org/gis-based-index-to-world-topo-maps-2/

General Process in ArcGIS

1.Set up Geodatabase2.Create Fishnet3.Determine projection of map series4.Edit fishnet5.Spend hours and hours entering sheet names and

other data6.Create labels and style map7.Export to hosting service of your choice!

The solution

Digitized Collection

Digital Index

Static Index

Benefits

• Allows for geographic searching and browsing

• Spatial representation of our collection

• Reduces demands on staff time and empowers users

Next steps

● Complete digitization of collection● Link index to individual map

scans● Add our index to the collaborative

project