Map Library

The Map Library includes a wide variety of maps, atlases, street plans and other cartographic materials in both printed and electronic formats. The aim of the collection is to support teaching and research within the University, although external users (with prior notice) are welcome. Maps can be used to show patterns of land use, demographic change, political boundaries and changes, and much else. They are potentially a very valuable resource for teaching and research in many areas of study, including history, politics, sociology, economics and biology, as well as geography and geology.

The local areas of North Staffordshire and South Cheshire are well covered by large-scale Ordnance Survey mapping, with older editions providing a useful resource for local history studies. New revisions of the Outdoor Leisure and Explorer (1:25,000) and Landranger (1:50,000) series provide up to date coverage for the rest of Britain.

Outside the British Isles, areas well represented include Western Europe, North America and Southern Africa. Atlases range from facsimiles of original 17th and 18th century editions to modern major general atlases and road atlases. 

Maps should generally be requested via the Special Collections Office, although a reference collection of atlases, street maps, Ordnance Survey and British Geological Survey maps is on open access and freely available during Library opening times.

Most Map Library material is not available for loan. 

 

Keele users may register for free access to Digimap which provides maps and geospatial data from a number of national data providers, including Ordnance Survey and BGS.

Historical maps of the Geological Survey can be found at http://www.bgs.ac.uk/data/historicalmaps/home.html