Maps acquired by the division since 1968 have been cataloged. As a major service to the map library community, the division establishes, maintains, and disseminates national standards for classifying and cataloging maps and atlases through the MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) Map system.
In 1901, Philip Lee Phillips, the first chief of the Hall of Maps, reported to the Librarian of Congress that: "This collection, which is the largest extant, will in time be of great value, not only to the cartographer, but also to the historian." Due to the tireless efforts of Phillips and five generations of map librarians, the Geography and Map Division's collection of cartographic materials is of even greater value today. In addition to cartographers, geographers, and historians, the collection is heavily used by genealogists, preservationists, urban planners, ecologists, and scientists.
In an effort to reach a wider audience and to further develop, enhance, and promote the Library's geographic and cartographic collections, the Geography and Map Division established the Philip Lee Phillips Society, an association of friends of the division, in 1995.
Please note: Throughout this research guide, links to items with only a bibliographic record in the Library of Congress Online Catalog indicate that the item has not yet been digitized.