Cambridge University Library

Collections

Principal Categories of Material Held in the Map Department

Collection Development Policy
Recommendations

For more general information on the collections see our General introduction page.

Principal Categories of Material Held in the Map Department

  1. Old Maps and Atlases
    1. Facsimiles of medieval maps and other old atlases.
    2. Original maps and atlases by most of the principal British and foreign map-makers from the 16th century onwards.
    3. Sea charts, in particular old British and French charts.
    4. Large scale maps, including county maps at the scale of one inch to one mile published before the advent of the Ordnance Survey at the beginning of the 19th century, and town plans.
    5. Detailed maps and views of the City of Cambridge and of Cambridgeshire parishes.
    6. Auction particulars of sale of rural estates.
    7. Topographic views, including old engravings, photographs and a special collection of postcard views.
    8. Manuscript maps, including estate plans and railway track diagrams.

    2. Islandia. Extract from Abraham Ortelius' map of Iceland published ca. 1595. Altas.3.59.1(98)

    Islandia. Extract from Abraham Ortelius' map of Iceland published ca. 1595. Altas.3.59.1(98)

  2. Modern Maps and Atlases
    1. Ordnance Survey maps; most editions of both the modern National Grid and superseded series at scales from 1:1,250 to 1:1,000,000. (For the 1:2,500 and 1:500 county series, coverage of the first edition, c. 1880-90, is generally limited to East Anglia). The most recent detailed Ordnance Survey maps are accessed electronically in the Map Room (see www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/maps/osdata.html).
    2. Other British official map series, e.g. Geological Survey, Soil Survey, Directorate of Overseas Surveys.
    3. British Admiralty Charts - these provide world-wide coverage.
    4. Local authority development plans and planning reports.
    5. Major national topographic map series from many parts of the world. The most detailed scale we normally consider acquiring is 1:25,000.
    6. Commercial map publications, e.g. British and foreign town plans, road maps.
    7. Thematic maps, e.g. geological maps, soil maps, weather maps.
    8. General, national, regional, thematic, historical and linguistic atlases.

    3. Extract from Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map Cambridgeshire Sheet XLVII.2 published in 1888 and showing Clare College Cricket Ground where in the 1930s the University Library would be built.

    Extract from Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map Cambridgeshire Sheet XLVII.2 published in 1888 and showing Clare College Cricket Ground where in the 1930s the University Library would be built.

    Extract showing the University Library from the 1989 Soviet Military 1:10,000 map of Cambridge. Maps.F.021.36

    Extract showing the University Library from the 1989 Soviet Military 1:10,000 map of Cambridge. Maps.F.021.36

  3. Ancillary Material
    1. Gazetteers of the world and of individual countries.
    2. Books on general, regional, and historical cartography; cartobibliographies; catalogues of other map libraries.
    3. Information about where maps not in the collection may be consulted or purchased.

  4. Charles Close Society (CCS) Archives
    1. Technical works, catalogues, publication reports, historical material, papers written for academic journals, of relevance to the Ordnance Surveys of both Great Britain and Ireland.
    2. Selected files defining the specification of individual series, and master files for individual sheets.
    3. Files relating to the work of the Directorate of Overseas Survey.

      For information on the Charles Close Society see their website at: http://www.charlesclosesociety.org/. Further information on the CCS Archives can be found at http://www.charlesclosesociety.org/node/27. The collection is listed on Janus - click here to find out more.

Please Note:

  1. Cartographic periodicals do not stand in the Map Room; ask at the Enquiry Desk in the West Room for more information.
  2. The Map Room collection does not include books on surveying.

Collection Development Policy

The Library's Collection Development Policy can be accessed from http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections.htm and contains general information of relevance to all sections of the Library as well as a specific section on maps.

Recommendations

Readers are very wecome to recommend items they think we should acquire. Recommendations can be made via the on-line recommendation form; on the printed recommendation forms available in various locations throughout the Library; or by email, letter or note (see the Contacts Page for addresses, etc.). It is not always necessary, however, to fill in a form - Map Department staff are happy to accept marked up publishers’ catalogues, map and book sellers’ lists, etc.