Yes, you can update USGS topo maps from their site but in order to print them out you will need a map plotter in order to do so.

I wouldn't dispose of the print maps.  There's a great deal of value in them.  The USTopo maps (especially the early editions) don't include the same information as its predecessor.

However, if this is a space issue and you have all 50 states, retain those states within your region and see if you can have a housing agreement for the rest of the maps with the geography department on campus or another such entity.  I'm sure they would use them.

Carlos A Diaz
askcarlos.com
[log in to unmask]


On Oct 13, 2016 9:56 AM, "Carlson, Tom" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Just an FYI for those who are interested. Many of you on this list and your libraries may have been repositories for our USGS quadrangles in the past. After we stopped printing those classic maps, (sad I know!) I received many calls about what libraries were to do about not getting copies anymore. At that time we also began deploying USTOPO, a digital version of our 7.5' quadrangles set in a Geopdf format. These are updated far more frequently than the paper maps, every three years on the average and are very popular today. They can be viewed on any device with a pdf viewer and are easy to plot on large format plotters. As a part of this project and found on the same site, are historic USGS quadrangles. We have scanned every old quad we could find and post those as either Geopdf or Geotiff. These scans of old maps are a wonderful resource and also very popular.

If you haven't seen USTOPOs or accessed them I'll put a few links below that will take you there. The "how to" videos that we have developed are very helpful as well.

Intro page to US TOPO is here http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/

To search for and download particular quadrangles: http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/?basemap=b1&category=ustopo&title=US%20Topo%20Download

To view "how to" videos on using US TOPO and other USGS mapping products look here: http://training.usgs.gov/TEL/TheNationalMap/TNM-TEL-Index.html
(The USTOPO videos are Lesson # 8 and 9)


Cheers,

Tom Carlson, PhD, GISP
Geographer
National Map Liaison for Washington, Oregon and Idaho
US Geological Survey
934 Broadway, Suite 300
Tacoma, WA 98402



On Wed, Oct 12, 2016 at 2:39 PM, Michael M Noga <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Greetings,

 

I have seen a lot of offers of USGS topo sets on Maps-L for several years.  I was wondering if you would answer this quick question.  

 

My library is

1)       Keeping all our print USGS topo maps.  (perhaps storing all or some off-site)

2)      Keeping only the print maps for the states (regions) that mainly interest my library’s community.

3)      Withdrawing our print USGS topo map collection.

 

 

You can reply directly to me or respond to the list.

I will post the results.

 

Thanks.

 

Michael

 

________________
Michael M Noga

Collections Strategist

Earth and Planetary Sciences Librarian

MIT Libraries

[log in to unmask]




--
Tom Carlson, PhD, GISP
Geographer
National Map Liaison for Washington, Oregon and Idaho
US Geological Survey
934 Broadway, Suite 300
Tacoma, WA 98402

The National Map -  Your Source for Topographic Information