Hi Eliza,
Princeton University purchased the entire package. You can ask them how they are liking it.
I would think in New York, where the collection seems to be dispersed, that it would be a great package. Here in PA, we have most of the maps, and have scanned them and posted them online. So it doesn't make sense for us. We do get quite a few Architecture students needing New York City Sanborn maps, so maybe some day.....
When we had a trial for it, I tested it using an actual reference question. I put in an address and it correctly told me which date range had the address. And the date was 1925 and I knew that the copyright wasn't renewed for the map. They had it available. They have done all the copyright checking, so they have post-1922 maps. The Library of Congress hasn't posted any post 1922 Sanborn maps that I know of.
Regards,
Heather Ross
Map Specialist
Penn State University Libraries
Hello All,
I attended a demo today of FIMO (Fire Maps Online – a database product sold by a company called Historical Information Gatherers), arranged by our Architecture librarian, whose patrons include historical preservationists. Fimo includes a nearly full collection of full-color Sanborn maps – much better quality images than the ProQuest Sanborn Maps database, and an easier interface.
I’m wondering if any of you have purchased this product or seen a demo or had a trial at your library. Seems to me that more and more Sanborn maps are freely available in high resolution online (and apparently more will go out of copyright soon?), but these collections are scattered. And if you’re a person without any specialized map or GIS knowledge, having tools like Fimo that automatically layer on contemporary base maps is very attractive. Plus, Fimo claims to have all the corrected versions of maps (those little white pieces of paper they pasted over spots on the map.), and records of when the corrections were made.
I’d welcome your thoughts and observations!
Thanks,
eliza
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Eliza Bettinger
Digital Humanities Librarian
she/her
106 Olin Library
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853 USA
607-255-4042 (office)