New York City Historical Geographic Information Systems

FAIN: PW-50717-10

New York Public Library (New York, NY 10016-0109)
Matthew Knutzen (Project Director: July 2009 to August 2013)

Digitization of a collection of 9,500 historical maps of New York City, dating from 1851 to 1922, and creation of related geographical information to be used with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools.

The New York Public Library (NYPL) seeks funding to support for a three-year, three-stage project to create a growing body of work essential to the study of New York City's historical landscape. Each stage will occur simultaneously throughout the grant period and further extends access to the collections involved. At the completion of New York City Historical Geographic Information Systems (NYC Historical GIS), NYPL will have digitized, georectified, transformed, repurposed, and published a significant collection of New York City maps into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) datasets for free and open use by researchers anywhere. The project's outcomes will allow scholars and researchers to, among other things, investigate literary and historical landmarks, archaeological sites, building histories, ethnic communities, and architectural site plans, and inform a range of activities from the production of creative works to the publication of scholarly materials.