• Reference Sources: Atlases and Maps

    What are the library reference sources? Let's find out!

    Page Contents

    These are some maps and atlases we have available in the library.

    What are atlases and maps?

    Atlases are "bound collections of maps often including illustrations, informative tables, or textual matter."[a]  They cover a wide variety of subjects and topics.

    Fun fact: There are atlases of the human body.

    Maps are representations of celestial spheres, usually on a flat surface, "of the whole or part of an area". They are also "[diagrams] or other visual [representations] that [show] the relative position of the parts of something."[b]


    [a] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atlas.

    [b] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/map.

    Britannica Academic

    Britannica Academic is an online [1] encyclopedia, [2] dictionary, and [3] atlas providing articles, primary sources, multimedia, and other unique resources including New York Times articles and BBC News feeds.

    Resources also available include the Merriam-Webster DictionaryBiographies, and Maps and Atlases.

    Use the search bar below to get started!

    Access to Britannica databases may require an additional log-in. Please call the library at (270) 384-8102 to obtain the log-in as needed.

    In-house Library Collection

    Check out Ranges 1A and 1B for our in-house reference collection! These books are available to read anytime while the library is open.  Please Note: Books in the reference section cannot leave the library.

    Also check out Government Documents! We have lots of maps there from various federal entities.


    There are also maps and atlases scattered through the rest of the collection. 

    Use this pre-filter search in our library catalog to find printed materials with "map, maps, atlas, or atlases" as a keyword. You will find books located in both the reference section and the general collection. Please Note: Any books not found in the reference section (or found in the general collection) can be checked out.

    Use this pre-filtered search in our library catalog to find eBooks with "map, maps, atlas, or atlases" as a keyword.

    Other Atlas Resources

    Examples of Atlases and Maps

    Picture Citation

    Unless otherwise stated,

    All pictures in this guide are sourced from www.pixabay.com.