“Will Work for Maps”: A History of the Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Special Map Processing Project

Abstract

After World War II, the Geography and Map Division at the Library of Congress acquired large quantities of military-related maps through the U.S. Army Map Service and similar military agencies, as well as from traditional domestic and foreign sources. The Division found itself in possession of many duplicates or otherwise expendable cartographic materials. The Division managed the surplus with its Special Map Processing Project. It recruited from the ranks of students, faculty, and librarians to secure hands-on staffing assistance with a kaleidoscopic variety of frontline projects. The Project served as a conduit to redistribute maps and other cartographic materials from their surplus collection. As the Division enjoyed the benefits of this arrangement — such as gaining control of their collections — many university, college, and other libraries benefited from acquiring duplicate materials, which strengthened, enlarged, and sometimes “seeded” map collections. The authors explore the Special Project’s roots and founding; its structure, staffing, impacts, and outcomes; and important changes.

Keywords:

• Library of Congress Geography and Map Division
• maps
• summer projects
• librarian education and training
• library technical services
• gifts
• provenance
• acquisitions

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Mr. Ed Redmond, Reference Specialist, LC Geography and Map Division, for finding and sharing unpublished “Division Chief’s reports” (or, in actuality, appropriate portions thereof) because these provided deep detail of who was involved, what projects were tackled and by whom, the numbers of materials processed, the educational opportunities afforded attendees and the number of duplicate maps and atlases received in trade for work accomplished. These details provided the clearest picture of individual summer project activities, especially regarding the evolving structures and changes that the summer programs underwent. In addition, project participants Stanley Stevens and John Anderson deserve our thanks for providing us personal level documents that helped provide insights and details into aspects of individual summer projects that we would not otherwise have uncovered elsewhere. And finally, sincere gratitude to former, and now retired, Geography and Map Division Chief Ralph E. Ehrenberg for the several emails in conversation with us to provide knowledge about the Division’s operations and “thinking” as well as for other contacts to reach out to along the way. Gaining perspectives about the inner workings of the Division beyond what had been published was an invaluable service to us.