James Madison Memorial Building, basement, room LM B01

Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Closed weekends and federal holidays.

Telephone: 202 707-6277

Fax: 202 707-8531

Address: Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress, Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20540-4650

E-mail: www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-geogmap.html (Please include your full name and residential mailing address.)

Web site: <http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap>

Access and use information for all Library of Congress reading rooms: For a brief overview on beginning research at the Library of Congress, see Planning Your Visit. To use any Library of Congress reading room, you must show a Library-issued reader identification card (see Reader Registration). For detailed explanations of each reading room and general Library procedures, consult the Library's Web site at <http://www.loc.gov/rr>.

Access and use information for the Geography and Map Division: Before you begin research in the Library's cartographic collections, it is essential that you identify a specific geographic area of interest because that is the key to locating material. To gain access to the collections, first obtain a Library of Congress reader identification card in Room 140 of the James Madison Memorial Building and then register with the Geography and Map Division. Additional restrictions apply to the use of rare materials that are kept in the division's vault.

Reference service is provided by mail, e-mail, and fax, but to make full use of the Geography and Map Division's collections and reference services, a personal visit is highly recommended. Limited “quick-copy ” photocopying facilities are available in the reading room and a variety of other photoreproduction services can be ordered through the Library's Photoduplication Service. Copyright restrictions are the responsibility of the researcher and are observed in all duplication processes.

Organization of the collections of the Geography and Map Division is maintained in a number of filing systems, generally by format, geographical location, and date. Because there is no simple way to find all of the materials that might prove useful to the researcher, the division's highly experienced reference staff provides invaluable assistance in identifying appropriate resources.

Written reference service is provided for those unable to visit the division. Please be as specific as possible when describing your project; it is imperative that the geographical area be identified and that the subject and scope of the research project and inclusive dates be provided. While the staff is prepared to help locate cartographic material relevant to a study, its primary service is referring users to appropriate source material, rather than conducting research on their behalf.