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| Map Collection > Finding Maps at Stony Brook > Types of Material: Gazetteers, General Reference Maps, Geological Maps |
| TYPES OF MATERIAL: Gazetteers, General Reference, Geological, Hiking Maps |
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A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary. There are a number of types of gazetteers. Some, such as those published by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, give little information except for latitude and longitude coordinates for locating places on maps. Other gazetteers give basic information about the places they list. A good example of this type of gazetteer is The Ordnance Survey Gazetteer of Great Britain (Maps/Gazetteer DA640.O68 1989). Baedeker guidebooks are also shelved with the gazetteers. Gazetteers are cataloged, and most are shelved in a special location (Map Collection, Gazetteer in STARS). They are shelved next to the cartographic journals between the atlases and soil surveys (see map of the map collection). To differentiate them from other Map reference books, they have a yellow dot on the spine. Some heavily used gazetteers, including several general gazetteers and gazetteers of New York and Long Island, are shelved behind the Map Reference desk. Geographic names in the US are also listed on the GNIS CD ROM (see Digital Maps ) This is a catch-all term for various small-scale maps, such as maps covering a continent, region, or country on a single sheet. General reference maps also include thematic maps (maps about a subject, which show such things as population and crop distribution). Maps published by the CIA and National Geographic maps are typical examples of this genre. General reference maps are interfiled with road maps and other types of maps in the U.S. sheet map and foreign sheet maps sections. Atlases and Maps on File (Maps, Reference Desk G1021.M28) are also good sources of general reference maps. Some outdated general reference maps can also be found in the file cabinets labeled "world travel" and "U.S. travel" on the wall near the Reference Desk. The Map Collection holds about 10,000 geological maps, as well as atlases and digital materials. Most geological maps and atlases are interfiled with other materials in the Map Collection. Geological maps are almost all cataloged on STARS. U.S.G.S. maps in folio envelopes are shelved by series in the file cabinets near the study area at the far end of the Map Collection. These maps are cataloged and arranged by series number. Several hundred CD-ROMs containing geological information are housed behind the Information Desk of the Science and Engineering Library.These include Geology of the Conterminous United States, and 1:250,000 scale geological maps of New York State (both surface and bedrock geology). Topographic maps, and numerous specialized map data files from the U.S.G.S. are also available. Most can be located through STARS. Hiking maps can be found in several places. Guides to the Appalachian Trail and some loose maps of popular hiking areas in the New York Metropolitan region are located in the Map Reserve Room. A number of guide books to popular hiking areas are cataloged and shelved behind the Map reference desk. Hiking maps, particularly for Long Island and New York State, can be found in the travel file cabinets, and, occasionally, interfiled with other U.S. sheet maps. Hikers are also frequent users of topographic maps. Hiking maps do not circulate. |
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Stony Brook University Libraries Frank Melville Jr. Memorial Library, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3300 631.632.7100 (t), 631.632.7116 (fax) Website Comments: Library Webmaster. Library-related questions: Ask a Librarian Copyright 2003. Last Update: October 2003 |