The Library of Congress website can initially seem overwhelming because it contains millions of digital items across many collections. The key is to begin with the map search interface and then narrow your results.
Step 1: Go to the Maps Collection
To begin, visit the Library of Congress Maps collection:
Library of Congress Maps Collection
The page provides access to maps and related geographic materials. You can browse featured collections or begin a search.
Step 2: Search for a Place
Additionally, the simplest approach is to search for a geographic name.
Try a search such as:
Phoenix Arizona
or:
Washington D.C.
or:
Grand Canyon
Moreover, the results page will display items that match the Library’s digital collections.
For historical research, try multiple variations. A place may appear under an older name, a county name, a territorial designation, or an alternative spelling.
Step 3: Narrow Your Results
Once you have search results, use the available filters to refine them.
Depending on the search, you may be able to narrow results by:
- Date
- Location
- Subject
- Contributor
- Language
- Online availability
- Collection
This is where the website becomes especially powerful.
If you are searching for maps of Arizona, for example, you can narrow the results to a particular historical period. You might look specifically for maps published between 1850 and 1900.
Step 4: Open an Individual Map
Click on a map that interests you.
The item page usually provides important bibliographic information, which may include the map’s:
- Title
- Creator
- Publication date
- Publisher
- Geographic coverage
- Subjects
- Notes
- Collection information
Read this information carefully. It provides essential context for understanding the map.
The catalog record can also help you discover related maps. The subjects, creators, and geographic terms associated with one map may lead you to other useful materials.
Step 5: Examine the Map in Detail
Use the image viewer to zoom into the map.
This is one of the greatest advantages of the digital collection.
At a normal viewing scale, a map may appear relatively simple. Zooming in can reveal extraordinary details: individual buildings, small streams, property boundaries, handwritten notes, survey information, or tiny place names.
When examining an old map, look beyond the obvious geographic content. Pay attention to the legend, scale, orientation, decorative elements, and publication information.
The margins may contain valuable clues about the map’s origin and purpose.
Step 6: Download the Map
Call Number/Physical Location G3936.P3 1872 .G15
Many Library of Congress map records provide options for downloading digital images.
When available, choose the highest-resolution version appropriate for your project. A high-resolution scan is particularly useful if you are studying typography, place names, or fine cartographic details.
Before using an image in a publication or website, check the item’s rights and access information. The Library of Congress provides rights and reproduction information with its digital materials, and users should review those terms before republishing images.
Step 7: Use the Map as a Research Starting Point
Do not stop with one map.
Once you find a useful item, examine its metadata and related subjects. Search the creator’s name. Search the same location with different dates. Look for maps produced by different publishers.
The real research value often comes from comparing multiple maps.
Tips for Better Searching
A few strategies can dramatically improve your results.
Search broadly first. Start with a general place name, then narrow the results.
Try historical names. Geographic names change. Search for former names, territorial designations, and older spellings.
Search by date. If you know the historical period you are studying, date filters can eliminate large numbers of irrelevant results.
Search by map type. Terms such as “topographic,” “railroad,” “fire insurance,” “battlefield,” or “bird’s-eye view” can produce very different results.
Search for people and organizations. If you know the name of a cartographer, publisher, surveyor, or government agency, search that name directly.
Explore related items. A good map is often a gateway to dozens of others.