Harvard Map Collection

The Harvard Map Collection's holdings span 1493 to the present day with more than 500,000 flat paper maps and over 800,000 maps in bound volumes, starting with a 1511 edition of Ptolemy’s Geographia.

Collection Overview

• Much of our collection can be found in HOLLIS, Harvard Library’s catalog.
• However, some items are still only listed in the Map Collection’s digitized card catalog.
• We regularly digitize our materials, many of which are available for browsing via our Scanned Maps collection.
• The Harvard Geospatial Library offers access to over 11,000 geo-enabled datasets, including 3,800+ georeferenced paper maps, for use with GIS software.
   

Searching the Collection

Here's how to search and request maps for viewing in our reading room: 

1. In the library catalog, limit your results to the Harvard Map Collection collection by choosing "Library Catalog" from the dropdown to the left of the search box, then setting the location to "Map Coll (Pusey)."
2. Once you find materials that interest you, click “Request to Copy or Visit” under “Access Options.”
3. This will bring you directly to our HOLLIS Special Request system. From there, log in or create a special collections account to submit your request.
4. If the item you wish to view is listed in the digitized card catalog and not in HOLLIS, you can go directly to HOLLIS Special Request, click “New Request” and “Reading Room Request,” and enter the item's details.
5. Once you’ve completed the request, you must separately schedule an appointment to come view the materials in the reading room. This is different from selecting your "Scheduled Date" in HOLLIS Special Request and ensures we have the materials ready when you arrive. 

If you’re interested in seeing only digitized maps, from the search results page, under “Show Only” select “Online.” Click the “Online Access” link on items you’re interested in to see options for how to view the item online. 

Make an Appointment

Researchers can use the Harvard Map Collection's diverse geospatial data — from global coastlines to detailed international census tracts — to investigate nature, human societies, and historical change.

You can search our spatial datasets via the Harvard Geospatial Library. Not sure where to start? Explore our tutorials and project examples below, and make an appointment with a GIS librarian to talk through how we can help.

Make an Appointment

The Harvard Map Collection is open by appointment to all researchers, regardless of affiliation. Our exhibition gallery is open to the public.

Reading Room

Our reading room is open to all researchers by appointment. Before making an appointment, you must request the materials you're interested in working with so we have them ready for you. 

If you have questions or are looking for research support, don't hesitate to contact us.

Exhibition Gallery

Our exhibitions in the Pusey Library corridor are free and open to the public — no appointment required. Our gallery hours are listed on our hours page under "view detailed hours." 

Getting Here & Accessibility 

To reach Pusey Library, face the columned entrance of Widener Library and go to the left. The ground level of Pusey is down a flight of stairs. If you don’t have an Harvard ID, inform the guard that you are visiting the map collection. The Map Collection is past the University Archives.

For access without stairs, Harvard ID holders can enter through the main Lamont Library entrance via the ramp at the Quincy Street gate. If you do not have a Harvard ID and require elevator access, please check in first at Widener Library via the Massachusetts Avenue entrance and someone will assist you from there. 

Please contact us if you have questions about the accessibility of the reading room.

Working with Physical Maps 

We can help you understand the details, scope, and provenance of our physical map collections. For faculty, we facilitate access to and engagement with our collections in support of course learning objectives, including contextualizing our collections with provenance, the history of cartography, and approaches for working with maps as primary sources.

Contact us for research consultations or submit a class request.

Working with Geospatial Methods

We offer consultations, course support, and workshops that cover the entire geospatial workflow — from accessing and preparing diverse data sources to utilizing geospatial software, tools, and methods. We also provide services to help ensure your GIS data is discoverable and reusable for future research.

Contact us to get started.

Map Collection Staff

• Bonnie Burns, Head of Geospatial Resources
• Belle Lipton, GIS Librarian
• Jonathan Rosenwasser, Cartographic Reference Assistant
• Molly Taylor-Poleskey, Map Librarian
• Scott Walker, GIS Librarian