Map collection
The collection
From the very beginning, Utrecht University Library has always had cartographic documents in its collection, but it was only in 1908 that a really systematic collection of atlases and maps was set up with the founding of the Geographical Institute. You will also find reproductions, globes, digital maps and CD-ROMs. Nowadays, the collection includes 170,000 single maps and 6,000 atlases. Since September 2004, the map collection is part of Utrecht University Library and is located on the 6th floor of University Library Uithof on Heidelberglaan 3. The map collection supports the Faculty's teaching and research activities and also serves as a national resource centre for map related questions. See also the overview on literature about the map collection.
Most acquisitions to the collection are recently published and cover the Netherlands. These documents include (digital) atlases, topographical maps, thematic maps and town plans. Topographical maps of European countries on a scale of 1:25,000 and on a scale of 1:50,000 form a large part of the collection. Outline maps on a scale of 1:250,000 covering a large number of First World countries are also available. Every part of the world is represented by at least a 1:1,000,000 scale map. There is a large collection of old maps and facsimiles. In this collection, the emphasis is on maps made in the Netherlands or maps related to the Netherlands and its former colonies. The collection of old cartographic material contains approximately 6,000 maps produced before 1850, including some rare old maps. In the Map Room, cartographic software is available. Descriptions of the software can be accessed on the Internet.
The whole collection is described in two card catalogues, one listed by region, the other one by theme. In addition, the complete collection can be found via the Utrecht University Library catalogue. Most atlases and reproductions published after 1900 are on open shelves. Material published before 1900 can be consulted in the Special Collections Reading Room. For questions about all other material, please go to the Map Room staff.
In 2010 the collection of geological and soil maps from the Geosciences Library became part of the collection. Recently, a considerable number of these physical maps have been scanned in high resolution. These scans can be accessed from the computers in the Map Room. These computers also give access to a rapidly growing and mostly complementary virtual collection of geographical databases. At present more than 300, 000 digital and digitised maps can be consulted.
Acquisitions
Below you will find the acquisitions of the Map Collection of the Utrecht University Faculty of Geosciences (in PDF) from 1983 to 2003. The descriptions are mainly made by Ineke Harms and Roelof Oddens, and edited by Roelof Oddens. Each file starts with the atlases listed by region, followed by the single maps, also listed by region.
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
Software
The cartographic software collection includes approximately 150 CD-ROMs and approximately 80 floppy disks. You will find (electronic) atlases, route planners, map catalogues and other software titles related to geography and/or cartography. In the collection, you will find all the software titles available in the Map Room up to 2004, each with an individual description listing the publisher, the system requirements and the contents of the software. The CD-ROM descriptions also have a screendump and sometimes a link to the company which produced the CD-ROM. The whole collection of CD-ROMs, including those published after 2004, is available via the Utrecht University Library catalogue.