Laura McElfresh: “'Will Work for Maps': A History of the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Special Map Processing Project"

Sponsored in partnership with the Boston, California, Chicago, New York, Philip Lee Phillips, Rocky Mountain, and Texas Map Societies

(Arranged with the assistance of the Philip Lee Phillips Society)

Location: Zoom

Time:  7:00 pm ET/6:00 pm CT/5:00 pm MT/4:00 pm PT

Title: "Will Work for Maps": A History of the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Special Map Processing Project

Speaker:  Laura McElfresh, Cartographic Metadata Librarian, University Libraries, University of Minnesota

(Based on a recent Journal of Map and Geography Libraries article co-authored with Paige Andrew and Linda Musser.) After World War II, the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division acquired large quantities of military-related maps through the U.S. Army Map Service and similar agencies, resulting in many duplicate or otherwise expendable cartographic materials. To manage this surplus, G&M founded its Special Map Processing Project, recruiting hands-on staffing assistance from geography students, faculty, and librarians. In return for their labor, Project participants selected surplus “duplicate” maps for their home institutions, thus strengthening, enlarging, and sometimes “seeding” map collections throughout the United States and Canada. Ms. McElfresh will review the Special Project's origins, structure, impacts, and outcome.

Planning to attend?   

RSVP to John Docktor at washmap@gmail.com to receive the Zoom meeting ID and passcode.