Maps and Cartographic Resources

Please use MapCallFinder for a proper call numbers in map cases located on A-level at the UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library.

Many, but not all, maps can be found in the UCLA Library Catalog. When seeking information that can be supplied from a map, you will need to identify four different aspects:

Geographic coverage:  What area is to be covered by the map?

Scale:  How much detail do you want to appear on the map? The greater the detail the larger the scale, e.g. building footprints of Los Angeles will be found on a large scale map. Small scale maps depict a larger area of the earth's surface but in much less detail, e.g. a road map of the Pacific Northwest.

Date of coverage:  What time period do you want the map to portray?

Subject:  Do you want a general map or one which depicts a specific subject or theme?

In some cases, the map resource you seek might be contained within a book or other work.  The steps below will help search the Library Catalog for single maps, map series, atlases, and works that contain maps.

MapCallFinder can be used to search for the maps held in the map cases located on A-level at the UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library.

1. Locate country on the map or search for the country and click on it

2. Once you click on the country, you should notice that each country has a number of attributes associated with it, including ISO, name, and affiliation. Countries are organized by world region. Most important of these attributes is the call number.

3. You should use the call number browse option to search for maps in the library or in the UCLA Library Catalog.