North Carolina Maps: Beta Release

North Carolina Maps is a three-year project, funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant distributed through the State Library of North Carolina. The project is due to be completed in June 2010. However, due to the high demand for these materials, and because of our desire to incorporate feedback from users into the continued development of the project, we are happy to be able to offer this preliminary or "beta" release of the project.

This website currently contains over 1,000 images of historic maps of North Carolina, primarily from the North Carolina Collection at UNC-Chapel Hill and the North Carolina State Archives. The map images, along with extensive descriptive information for each map, are published using the image management system CONTENTdm. Additional features on the site include several options for browsing the digitized maps, a full list of all of the maps that have already been digitized, as well as a list of maps that are scheduled to be digitized for the project. Please note that because this is a preliminary release, some of the current features -- including URLs for specific maps -- may be subject to change.

As we continue to expand and develop this project over the next two years, the following additions and new features will be added to the website:

• Over 500 additional maps, primarily from the North Carolina State Archives and Outer Banks History Center
• Additional lesson plans for K-12 students and teachers
• An improved image viewer, enabling easier zooming and panning of the map images
• Improved advanced search functionality

We are eager to hear comments and suggestions from users as we continue work on the project. Please address any questions, corrections, or suggestions to:

Nicholas Graham
North Carolina Maps Project Librarian
Carolina Digital Library and Archives
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
ngraham@unc.edu
(919) 962-9590