Map Collections

Our map collections contain maps and other geographic materials to support the research needs of the students, faculty and staff at Western Michigan University.

Print map collection

Our print map collection contains approximately 125,000 maps and 1,600 atlases along with gazetteers, soil surveys and climatological publications. The majority of this collection was acquired through the U.S. depository program. It consists of:

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  • Various topographic series from the United States Geological Survey (with 7.5-minute sheets covering the Great Lakes area).
  • Maps of foreign countries from the Central Intelligence Agency.
  • National forest and grassland maps from the Department of the Interior.
  • Nautical and aeronautical charts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While the collection has maps from around the world, its primary focus is Michigan and the Great Lakes area.

You can find these maps on the second floor of Waldo Library. All materials in the collection must be used in the library and cannot be checked out.

Digital map collections

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Index Map Collection

This digital collection includes index maps for map series and sets, such as the Army Map Service topographic series, that are annotated to show WMU Libraries’ holdings.
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South Asia Map Collection

This digital collection is made up of intermediate scale maps published by the Army Map Service, primarily in the 1940s and 1950s. It covers Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Burma.