Digitization Projects: DC Public Library and MapStory Partner to Digitize More Than 8,000 Historical Maps of Washington, DC

From MapStory:

Tucked away on the 3rd floor of the MLK Library in downtown Washington DC are forty drawers filled with more than 8,000 historical maps of Washington DC.
Over the next few months, thanks to a new partnership between MapStory and the DC Public Library, many of these maps will be scanned, digitized, geo-referenced and uploaded into MapStory.org. As a result, MapStory users will be able to combine historic maps with other types of data to bring DC history to life.
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According to Lauren Martino, a special collections librarian working on the project, “Until now, the Washingtoniana Map Collection has essentially been a secret that only the most diligent researchers have been able to find. Working with MapStory is providing an opportunity to share this hidden collection with the world while also making it more accessible to our local patrons here in DC. I can’t wait to see the stories that these maps will inspire!”
Kimberly Zablud, interim assistant director of the MLK Library said, “We first met MapStory when they joined the Library’s Dream Lab a year ago. Now we’re collaborating on an innovative method to tell stories with our customers.”
MapStory’s Dr. Christopher Tucker said, “Part of our goal with MapStory has always been to help residents share what they find meaningful about their communities and, in so doing, enrich civic life. This partnership with the DC Library system will help us experiment and find ways that libraries everywhere can engage in MapStorytelling projects that are relevant for them.”

Read the MapStory Blog Post
See Also: Learn More About the The Washingtonia Collection at DCPL

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Data Files, Digital Preservation, Libraries, Maps, News, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries