See here for information on searching iDiscover for Maps and Atlases.
Note that only a small proportion of the Map Department's holdings have online catalogue records. To make a comprehensive search of our holdings you will also need to visit the Map Department to search our card catalogue. Remember also to search ArchiveSearch
Searching for books on cartography and gazetteers
- Use Advanced search
- Select Cambridge Libraries Collections
- Select Subject from the drop down menu on the left hand side
- Make sure that the central column is set to contains (unless otherwise stated below)
- Type your search terms - see list below of the more commonly used terms - in the corresponding search box on the right
- The search terms can be combined with a place name, e.g. Great Britain cartography
- You might want to refine your search by clicking on the 'Resource Type' books
| atlases history | For texts about atlases |
| bibliography maps | For lists of maps (see also: catalogs) |
| cartography | For texts on how maps are made |
| cartography history | For texts on the history of cartography |
| cartographers | For biographies and other works about cartographers |
| catalogs maps | For lists of maps - sometimes lists of maps in a particular institution (see also: bibliography) |
| discovery and exploration | Select 'is (exact)' in the central column. Also Scientific expeditions |
| early maps | Select 'is (exact)' in the central column for books, periodicals, etc. on early maps |
| gazetteers | For gazetteers |
| globes | For books about globes |
| map collections | For books about map collections in general or about those in specific institutions. Can be combined with, for example, directories or catalogs |
| map reading | |
| map drawing | For books on how maps are drawn and made |
| maps terminology | For dictionaries, etc, of cartographic terms |
| maps in literature | Select 'is (exact)' in the central column. Also, for example, maps in art; maps in journalism; maps in motion pictures … |
| surveyors | Combine, for example, with dictionaries or history |
| surveying | Note that books on surveying are usually not kept in the Map Department |
| tithes maps | For books about tithe maps |
These search terms are Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) - hence the American spelling of words like harbor. A searchable list of LCSHs is available here.
See below for some Examples of subject headings used for a selection of cartographic books.
Subject Heading Examples
| BOOK TITLES | SUBJECT HEADINGS | |
| The history of cartography. University of Chicago Press. 1987- [S696.b.079] | Cartography –History | |
| Cartographical innovations: an international handbook of mapping terms to 1900. Edited by Helen M. Wallis and Arthur H. Robinson. 1987. [S696.c.98.71] | Maps --Terminology | |
| Dictionary of land surveyors and local mapmakers of Great Britain and Ireland 1530-1850.Sarah Bendall. 1997. [S696.c.99.120-121] | Cartographers --Great Britain –Dictionaries Cartographers --Great Britain –History Surveyors --Great Britain –Dictionaries Surveyors --Great Britain –History
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| English maps: a history. Catherine Delano-Smith and Roger J. P. Kain. 1999. [S696.c.062.2] | Geography, Medieval --England –Maps Cartography --England –History |
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| Tooley’s dictionary of mapmakers. Revised ed. 1999-2004. [S696.b.99.289-292] | Cartographers –Dictionaries | |
| Who’s who in the history of cartography: the international directory of current research in the history of cartography (D9). 1998. [S696.b.036.9] | Cartographers –Directories Cartography --Research –Directories Cartography –Bibliography |
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| Maps in the atlases of the British Library: a descriptive catalogue c. AD 850-1800. Rodney Shirley. 2004. [S696.b.200.118-119] | British Library --Map collections –Catalogs | |
| The Mapping of the World: early printed world maps 1472-1700. 4th ed. Rodney W. Shirley. 2001. [S696.a.200.4] | Early maps --Bibliography Cartography --History |
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| Early printed maps of the British Isles: a bibliography 1477-1650. Rev. and updated ed. Rodney W. Shirley. 1991. [S696.b.99.23] | Cartography --Great Britain –History Great Britain --Maps –Early works to 1800 --Bibliography. |
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| Printed maps of the British Isles 1650-1750. Rodney W. Shirley. 1988. [S696.b.060.6] | Cartography --Great Britain –History Great Britain --Maps –To 1800 --Bibliography.
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| The Mapping of North America: a list of printed maps, [vol. 1] 1511-1670; vol. II 1671-1700. Philip D. Burden. 1996-2007. [S696.a.026.1-2]
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Cartography --North America --History --Sources –Bibliography North America --Maps --Early works to 1800 --Bibliography –Catalogs North America --Historical geography --Maps |
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| Ordnance Survey maps: a concise guide for historians. 2nd ed. Richard Oliver. 2005. [S696.b.200.130] | Great Britain. Ordnance Survey –History Cartography --Great Britain –History Great Britain –Maps |
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| Ordnance Survey maps: a descriptive manual. J. B. Harley. 1975. [S696.b.97.107] | Great Britain. Ordnance Survey Cartography --Great Britain Great Britain --Maps, Topographic |
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| A History of the Ordnance Survey. Edited by W. A. Seymour. 1980. [S696.b.98.3] | Great Britain. Ordnance Survey –History | |
| Mapping the UK. C. R. Perkins and R. B. Parry. 1996. [S696.b.99.153] | Cartography--Great Britain Great Britain--Surveys
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| World mapping today. 2nd edition. R. B. Parry and C. R. Perkins. 2000. [ S696.b.200.3] | Acquisition of maps Maps--Publishing--Directories |
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