Map Services History
Since the first half of the twentieth century, the University of Tennessee has participated in the U.S. Government Depository Document Program. Through this program, UT has received a wide variety of documents from various government agencies, including a large number of maps. Before the University Libraries took over administrative control of the University's map collection, it was maintained by the capable faculty and staff of UT’s Geography Department. Professors such as Dr. Robert Long and Dr. Leonard Brinkman took on the huge added responsibility of maintaining the large number of maps possessed and received by the department.
In 1989, the University Libraries took over administrative control of the collection. This meant a dedicated staff and a collection development budget were provided for the Map Library. The physical transfer of the collection was made easier by the existing organization established and maintained by the Department of Geography. Once the move into a 7,000 square foot facility was complete, the University Libraries had a new branch . . . the UT Map Library.
With a collection development budget and a mission to meet the cartographic information needs of the campus and community, the UT Map Library soon outgrew its own name. The services provided became much more than just access to the University’s map collection; other services included reference, interlibrary loan, reserve, and access to databases and cartobibliographies from around the world. The Map Library was selected to be the Government Documents Map Depository for the state of Tennessee. The Map Library became the Tennessee State ESIC affiliate. In 1992, along with these expanded services came an expanded name: The Cartographic Information Center.
Today the name Map Library has been reinstituted. Today's Map Library is constantly growing and adding services, but is still grounded in the history which has been built on the foundation of a fine sheet-map collection for the students, staff, and faculty of the University of Tennessee and its community.
In December of 2007, the Map Library moved from Hoskins Library to Hodges Library. It was after the move that the name was changed from The Map Library to Map Services.