I’m writing to inform you of a crowdsourcing project and research study that I believe will be of interest. This project is the basis of my MS Geography and MLIS dual degree at Louisiana State University.
Through February and March, members of the public are invited to georeference Sanborn maps from the Library of Congress digital collection on a new crowdsourcing platform I have put together. My goal is to explore crowdsourced georeferencing as a method of public engagement with historical maps, while also generating geospatial content that can be freely used in future research efforts. Near the end of the semester all georeferenced content will be transferred to LSU Atlas for long-term storage and public access.
This effort includes 268 Sanborn map volumes, with publication dates ranging from 1885 to 1950. In total, these volumes contain 1,600 map sheets, and cover 138 different communities across the state. The wide geographic coverage allows small towns to be included alongside larger cities like Baton Rouge or New Orleans.
For more information see attached flyer or visit the project website:
Participation is open to anyone over the age of 18. Those who are not interested in signing up can still explore the public web maps that are created by others, for example this interactive map of Alexandria in 1900.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns, and feel free to share this invitation with members of your organization or anyone who may be interested.
Thanks,
Adam Cox
MS Geography & MLIS, LSU 2022