Michigan State University

Collection Development Policy: Maps & Geospatial Data

Collecting by Region

 The greater detail of geographic information, the more voluminous (and expensive) it is.  Therefore the following geographic priorities are set for the most detailed systematic collection.  However selected detailed acquisitions may be made for places of note or for its subject matter of interest for any place in the world.

  • Michigan: All scales; topographic, geologic, hydrologic, transportation, political, demographic, relief.  Antiquarian maps are actively collected.
  • Great Lakes States: All scales; reference and thematic maps, natural resources. Antiquarian maps are actively collected.
  • West, East, and Southern Africa: Reference and thematic maps, including historical materials. Topographic maps of all scales will be collected. Selected antiquarian maps are actively collected.
  • United States: Reference and thematic maps, including historical materials.  States closer to Michigan will be collected with greater detail than others, however interesting features and topics will be collected regardless of location.  Topographic maps up to 1:24,000 scale will be collected and all editions retained.  Selected antiquarian maps are actively collected.
  • Canada: Reference and thematic maps, including historical materials. Topographic coverage up to 1:50,000 will be collected, with emphasis on areas in proximity to the United States and other areas of interest. Detailed geologic mapping with emphasis on on areas in proximity to the United States and other areas of interest.  Some antiquarian maps will be collected.
  • Mexico    Reference and thematic maps, including historical materials.  Topographic coverage up to 1:50,000 will be collected, with emphasis on areas in proximity to the United States and other areas of interest. Detailed geologic mapping with emphasis on areas in proximity to the United States and other areas of interest.  Some antiquarian maps will be collected.
  • World: Reference and thematic maps of Earth as a whole, continents, regions, and nations, including historical materials. World atlases and road atlases will be acquired yearly.   Topographic coverage will be collected up to 1:250,000 scale, with more detailed coverage for particular areas of research interest.  Detailed geologic mapping will be acquired in areas of particular interest.  Antiquarian maps are selectively collected, especially for areas of research interest.  Also, we will consider acquisitions in areas of particular and ongoing research interest to MSU faculty. 

Academic Library Collection Development Policies often communicate collection intensity levels using the Library of Congress classification breakdown as you see below.  The MSU sheet map collection is currently arranged using the American Geographical Society system but is being converted to LC.

Levels of Collecting Intensity

Call Number Range. Subject Collection Level*
G1000-3122 Atlases  
G1000-1000.5 Atlases of the moon, planets, etc. 2 - Basic information
G1001-1046 World atlases. Atlases of the Earth 3 - Study or instructional support
G1050-1052 Northern and Southern Hemispheres 3 - Study or instructional support
G1053 Tropics. Torrid Zone 3 - Study or instructional support
G1054-1055 Polar regions. Frigid Zone 3 - Study or instructional support
G1059-1061 Maritime atlases (General) 2 - Basic information
G1100-3102 By region or country 3 - Study or instructional support
G1105-1692 North America 3- 4 Upper level Instructional support
G1110-1114 Greenland 3 - Study or instructional support
G1115-(1193) Canada 3- 4 Upper level Instructional support
G1200-1534.24 United States 4 - Research level, especially Great Lakes region
G1535-1537 Caribbean area 3 - Study or instructional support
G1540-1542 Latin America (General) 3 - Study or instructional support
G1545-1549 Mexico 3 - Study or instructional support
G1550-1594 Central America 3 - Study or instructional support
G1600-1692 West Indies 3 - Study or instructional support
G1700-1779 South America 3- 4 Upper level Instructional support
G1791-2196 Europe 3 - Study or instructional support
G2110-2196 Former Soviet republics. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). Russia (Empire) G2200-2444.84 Asia
2 - Basic information
G2445-2739 Africa 3-4 - Upper instructional support to research level
G2740-2799 Australasia
2 - Basic information
G2800-3064 Oceans (General)
2 - Basic information
G3100-3102 Antarctica 3 - Study or instructional support
G3122 Atlases of imaginary, literary, and mythological regions, etc., A-Z 2 - Basic information
G3160-3171 Globes 1 - Minimal
G3180-9980 Maps  
G3180-3182 Universe. Solar system 1 - Minimal
G3190-3191 Celestial maps 1 - Minimal
G3195-3197 Moon 2 - Basic information
G3200-3202 World. Earth
3 - Study or instructional support
G3210-3221 Northern and Southern Hemispheres
2 - Basic information
G3240-3241 Tropics. Torrid Zone
2 - Basic information
G3250-3251 Temperate Zone
2 - Basic information
G3260-3272 Polar regions. Frigid Zone
2 - Basic information
G3290-5667 Maps of America. Western Hemisphere  
G3300-5184 North America 3 - Study or instructional support, especially the Great Lakes region
G3380-3384 Greenland
2 - Basic information
G3400-(3612) Canada 3 - Study or instructional support
G3700-4384 United States 3-4 Upper level instructional support
G4110-G4114 Michigan 4 - Research level
G4390-4392 Caribbean area 3 - Study or instructional support
G4410-4763 Mexico 3 - Study or instructional support
G4800-4874 Central America 3 - Study or instructional support
G4900-5184 West Indies 3 - Study or instructional support
G5200-5667 South America 3 - Study or instructional support
G5670-8904 Eastern Hemisphere. Eurasia, Africa, etc.  
G5700-7342 Europe 3 - Study or instructional support
G7000-7342 Former Soviet republics. Union of Soviet Socialist 3 - Study or instructional support
Republics (U.S.S.R.). Russia (Empire) 3 - Study or instructional support
G7400-8198.54 Asia 3 - Study or instructional support
G8200-8904 Africa 4 - Research level
G8950-9084 Australasia
2 - Basic information
G9095-9794 Oceans (General)
2 - Basic information
G9800-9804 Antarctica 2 - Basic information
GA1-1776 Mathematical geography. Cartography 4 - Research level

*RLG  Conspectus levels:  0) Not collected   1)Basic layperson   2)Undergraduate   3)Research   4)Comprehensive