University libraries release online collection of state maps

EUGENE, Ore. -- (Feb. 26, 2009) -- In honor of the 150th anniversary of Oregon's statehood, the University of Oregon Libraries and the Oregon State University Libraries collaborated to release Oregon Maps, a digital collection of approximately 200 scanned maps illustrating many characteristics of the state's history and physical makeup. The resource is available online at http://boundless.uoregon.edu/digcol/ormaps/index.php.

Oregon Maps offers a sampling of items available in the map collections at each university. The earliest map in the new digital collection is a federal land survey map from 1876. In addition, topographical maps of the Willamette Valley and Umpqua Basin and maps showing the location of kelp along the Oregon Coast are available, as well as a collection of roadmaps documenting the evolution of the state highway system from 1916 to present.

The libraries at UO and OSU worked together to produce the online collection, which is searchable by keyword. The resource also allows users to organize and view maps in several categories, including road maps, physical sciences and political geography.

The University of Oregon and Oregon State University are proud participants in Oregon 150-the sesquicentennial celebration of Oregon's admission to the Union in 1859. The mission of Oregon 150 is to inspire people across the state to remember, experience and celebrate Oregon and, together, create a robust and sustainable future.

About Oregon State University
OSU is Oregon's only university designated in the Carnegie Foundation's top tier for research institutions, garnering more than 60 percent of the total federal and private research funding in the Oregon University System. OSU is also one of only two U.S. universities designated a land-, sea-, space- and sun-grant institution. Its more than 20,300 students come from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. OSU programs touch every county within Oregon, and its faculty teach and conduct research on issues of national and global importance.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Contacts: Julie Brown, UO, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu; Todd Simmons, OSU, 541-737-4611, todd.simmons@oregonstate.edu

Sources: Jon Jablonski, David & Nancy Petrone MAP/GIS Librarian, UO Libraries, 541-346-3051, jonjab@uoregon.edu; Michael Boock, department head-Digital Access Services, The Valley Library at OSU, 541-737-9155, michael.boock@oregonstate.edu

Link: Oregon Maps, http://boundless.uoregon.edu/digcol/ormaps/index.php; Oregon 150: http://oregon150.uoregon.edu

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