Map Collection

Map Collection Overview

The Map Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library's Central Library is one of the largest in American public libraries. In this collection are 85,000 maps, some 2,000 atlases, over 1,000 gazetteers, some 20 serial titles, and over one thousand books supporting the study of maps and mapping. The emphasis of this collection is on Los Angeles, Southern California, and California, but in many cases the scope extends to national and international coverage. The great majority of the chronological scope is post-1900, but there is a representation of 19th-century maps in California. The following is a list of the holdings.

Maps of Los Angeles and California

U.S.G.S. Topographical Maps

• The Los Angeles Public Library is a depository library for United States Geological Survey material. We have U.S.G.S. topos in the 1:24,000 scale for the entire U.S. and its territories; these are sometimes known as 7½ minute maps.

U.S.G.S. TOPOS 1:50,000, 100,000, 250,000, 500,000 Million

• U.S.G.S. topos in the above scales are also on file. The 1:250,000 set was discontinued in 1994.

A.M.S. and D.M.A.

• D.M.A. supersedes A.M.S.
  L.A.P.L. is also a depository library for the Army Map Service and the Defense Mapping Agency cartographic materials. This includes Army Map Service maps covering most of the world around the World War II period in 1:100,000, 1:250,000, and 1:500,00 scales.

Sailing Directions

• Gives directional information and chart numbers for points on DMA nautical charts.

Nautical - International - D.M.A.

• Defense mapping Agency Nautical charts cover international waters and the indexes are divided into nine regions.

Nautical - Domestic - N.O.A.A.

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Nautical charts, also known as National Ocean Service charts cover the coastline of the United States and her territories.

Coast Pilots

• Coast Pilots act as guides for the N.O.A.A. nautical charts, listing points on the maps and chart numbers. These books are cataloged under 910.1 U53-5 Vol. 7 for Pacific Coast at Ref. Desk

Aeronautical - N.O.A.A.

• N.O.A.A. aeronautical charts cover international and domestic airspace. We have charts for helicopters, jets, and airports.

Mexico - TOPOS

• Topographic maps of all of Mexico with a separate set on the Baja.

Canada - TOPOS

• Topographic maps of Canada from coast to coast.

Great Britain - TOPOS

• The Ordnance survey of topo maps covering Britain.

B.L.M.

• Bureau of Land Management Land Use Maps. We have a partial collection covering 13 states. 1:100,000. These show government owned lands and their uses.

Forest Service

• National Forest Service Maps - partial collection.

U.S.H.O. Historic Nauticals

• No index except the Philippines under U.S.H.O.
• United States Hydrographic Office Nautical charts were international in scope before D.M.A. and N.O.A.

G.S.G.S.

• No index except cross reference from AMS indexes.
• Geographical Section - General Staff set of British World War II era topographical maps on which many of the D.M.A. maps are based.

California TOPOS - Historic

• Index under Topo indexes.
• Also known as the obsolete file, these U.S.G.S. topos date back to the thirties and before in some cases.

Antarctica

• U.S.G.S. maps of Antarctica in 1:250,000 scale done in the 1980s.

Paigh Maps of South America

• We have a partial collection that covers some of the South American continent in 1:250,000. There doesn't figure to be much more coming out in the near future.

California Rivers

• No index. Straight Alphabetical list.
• California Rivers is an old U.S. Department of the Interior Series done in 1942.

Pictorial Maps

• Pictorial maps covering places in the world in colorful, graphic "mental map" styles. Seen by appointment only.

National Geographic Maps

• National Geographic maps from magazine issues from World War I to the 1990s.

Vietnam War - Topographic Maps

• Topo maps of Vietnam were produced in the mid to late sixties at scales of 1:25,000, 1:50,000, and 1:100,000.

Cataloged Maps - 91's

• Index in Carl catalog.
• Cataloged maps in the Dewey 91 series, these cover the world on a broad scale and especially California and the West.

Vertical File

• Vertical File - road maps, country maps, city guides, and street maps worldwide in scope. Some 2,000 files of fold-out type maps.