David Rumsey Map Center Stanford University Libraries

History and Founding

The David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford University was established following David Rumsey's announcement in February 2009 that he would donate his entire physical and digital map collection to Stanford University. The Center opened on 19 April 2016 in the Bing Wing of the Cecil H. Green Library on the Stanford campus in Stanford, California. The Center is housed on the fourth floor of Green Library, designed by Noll and Tam Architects.

David Rumsey, a retired real estate developer, began collecting 18th- and 19th-century maps of North and South America in the 1990s after retiring from real estate. He founded Cartography Associates and launched the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection online in 1996. After 2004 he expanded the collection to include maps from the 16th through 21st centuries covering the whole world. He received the Special Libraries Association Honors Award and a Webby Award for Technical Achievement for his digital work.

Collections and Holdings

The Center is one of the premier historical cartographic collections on the West Coast and among the world's great public research collections. The physical collection comprises more than 150,000 rare maps, atlases, globes, pocket maps, wall maps, maritime charts, manuscript maps, school geographies, and related cartographic materials. The online collection at davidrumsey.com has more than 141,000 digitized items, with new acquisitions added weekly. The collection focuses on rare 16th- through 21st-century maps of North and South America, as well as the world, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania, with materials dating from the 16th century to the present. The Center also houses other Stanford cartographic collections including the Glen McLaughlin Collection (California as an Island), the Antiquarian Map Collection, and historical maps from the Branner Earth Sciences Library.

Notable Materials

Among the Center's notable holdings is the Lewis and Clark expedition foldout map from the 1814 first-edition book, early maps of California as an island, Urbano Monte's 1587 manuscript world map, and a wide range of rare atlases and globes. The collection supports research in the humanities, sciences, arts, and professional schools.

Access and Usage

Entry to the Green Library requires a Stanford ID card or visitor registration with a government-issued photo ID. Visitors wishing to view physical items must request materials through SearchWorks and schedule a viewing appointment; up to five items may be viewed at a time. Food, drinks, and ink writing utensils are not permitted. Photography of materials for personal use is allowed. The Center also hosts digital exhibits, conferences, talks, and workshops, and offers consultations with map librarians.

Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 1:00–5:00 PM; Friday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM; weekday mornings by appointment.