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Cambridge University Library
by Anne Taylor
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Cambridge University Library
by Anne Taylor
|
 http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/History/ The Library now contains about 6 million books, pamphlets and periodical
volumes covering all disciplines taught within the University. Cartographic
materials can be found in several sections of the Library - Rare Books,
Manuscripts, Official Publications, the East Asian collections - but the
main concentration is to be found in the Map Department, which has its
own Reading Room and specialist staff.
The Map Department http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Handbook/Guide06.html The first Head of the Map Department retired in 1928 at the age of 70,
after 52 years service in the Library. Since that time there have been
only three successors, including the present incumbent. This reluctance
to move on is, perhaps, not surprising given the extraordinary range and
quality of the holdings.
The Map Collection The Map Department collection contains some 1,100,000 printed and manuscript maps as well as several thousand atlases, gazetteers and books about map making and the history of cartography. Superseded maps are never discarded. The collection also includes topographic views and a large (but unlisted) collection of topographic view post cards. More details on the scope of the collection can be found at: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Handbook/Guide06.html#tag2 Unfortunately it is not possible to loan items. The collection is particularly strong on British publications, since The Copyright Act, which entitles the Library to claim a copy of every new British publication, applies to maps as well as to printed books. Cambridge University Library was granted this privilege in 1709 but it was not initially fully exercised by the library. Today, however, vigorous efforts are made to acquire all publications from both official and commercial mapping bodies. Modern and antiquarian foreign publications form another significant part of the collection. Where possible, all major national topographic map series at scales of up to 1:50,000 are acquired. Maps and atlases by most of the principal British and foreign map-makers from the 16th century onwards are also represented in the collections. |
| Of particular note is the Gardner Copy of John Speed's The Theatre
of the Empire of Great Britaine. This is a proof copy. The maps of Great
Britain and Huntingdonshire are on display in the Library Exhibition Centre
until 9 October 1999 (but closed 16 to 23 September). The exhibition commemorates
the life of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658). For more details of the exhibition
and for images of some of the Map Department items on display see:
http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Exhibitions/Cromwell/cromwell.htm For those interested in the study of Ordnance Survey maps, the Charles Close Society Archive of Ordnance Survey material is deposited in the Library. (Special conditions govern access to this collection, please contact the Map Department for more details). Housed in the Rare Books Department is the Hanson Collection of the
Cruising Association. This collection of some 700 items includes about
50 general and 50 maritime atlases dating from the sixteenth to nineteenth
centuries. The collection was assembled by Herbert James Hanson who was,
between 1914 and 1956, successively Honorary Secretary and then President
of the Cruising Association. Most of the books are in excellent condition
and many have fine bindings. Included is a ca. 1560 anonymous map of Zeeland
which is possibly unique.
Who Uses the Collection? The collection is of national, and in some areas, of international importance. The primary aim is to support teaching and research within the University,
but the use made of the collection stretches far beyond this narrow remit.
The Library is keen for the map collection to be studied and for items
from it to be included in cartobibliographies, etc.
The Map Catalogue The Map Department catalogue is still overwhelmingly a card catalogue. It includes entries for separately published maps and atlases, for a large number of maps in books, for books on cartography and for gazetteers. The principal heading in the Map Catalogue is the first geographic place-name mentioned in the title, but entries are also made for other place-names and certain personal names. For more information see: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Handbook/Guide06.html#tag3 Catalogue entries for books and atlases added to the Map Department collections since the mid-1970s can also be found on the Library's on-line catalogue which can be accessed through the Library Web page. The Map Department has also started to catalogue maps for the on-line catalogue. To search the on-line catalogues see: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Catalogues/
Opening Times The Map Department is open from 09.30 to 12.45 and 14.00 to 17.10 from Monday to Thursday; from 09.30 to 12.45 and 14.00 to 16.50 on Fridays; and from 09.30 to 12.45 on Saturdays. Please note that the Department is not always fully staffed on Saturdays, so it is advisable to order material in advance. The Library is closed at Christmas and New Year, at Easter, on the August Bank Holiday and for a week in September. The closed dates for 1999 and the opening times of the Library (as opposed to the Map Department) can be found at: |
| Access to the Collections
Address:
Personal Visitors:
http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/ReaderServices/ticket.html There is a map showing the location of the Library at: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/ReaderServices/smallmap.html Remote Enquiries:
Tel: +44 (0)1223-333041
Reproductions Subject to copyright and conservation considerations we are able to provide reproductions from many items in the collections. Simply contact us for details. Please bear in mind that some types of reproduction may take several weeks. A price guide is available at: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Handbook/Guide29.html All photographs in this article are courtesy of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library: they may not be further reproduced without written permission. |
