Libraries

2001 Library News Archive

Illinois Sanborn Maps Online

November 2001
The WIU University Libraries have gained access to the Digital Sanborn Insurance Map Collection (Illinois: 1867-1970) via the Illinois Academic Digital Library. The Digital Sanborn Maps project encompasses most towns and cities in Illinois. The Sanborn maps are valuable to genealogists, local historians, city planners, environmentalists, geographers, architects, and others who are interested in the history, growth, and development of U.S. cities, towns, and neighborhoods. The maps contain information such as the outline of each building, the size, shape and construction materials, heights, and function of structures, location of windows and doors. The maps also give street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers. Extensive information on building use is given including names of owners of factories and details on what was manufactured in them. Other features shown include pipelines, railroads, wells, dumps, and heavy machinery. Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company was the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years.

University Libraries Join JSTOR

September 2001
The University Libraries are now a participant in the widely acclaimed JSTOR (Journal Storage) program. JSTOR archives back issues of core scholarly journals in electronic format. This saves library shelf space, assures journal preservation, and provides improved access to significant academic scholarship in the Arts and Sciences. JSTOR digitizes the original printed journal articles and converts them into images. These images are searchable, viewable, printable, downloadable, and are stored indefinitely. Most major research institutions in the United States have become JSTOR participants. Because of licensing agreements with publishers, JSTOR provides access to articles no newer than 2-5 years old. JSTOR holdings (over 150 titles) are available to all WIU students, faculty, and staff from any campus computer (or via WIU Network Dial-ins).

Library Subscribes to Illinois Newsstand

May 2001
The University Library has puchased online access to "Illinois Newsstand" (via ProQuest), a collection of major newspapers published throughout the state of Illinois. Illinois Newsstand indexes these newspapers (including Chicago Tribune back to 1974), and provides full-text articles from the Peoria Journal Star, Bloomington Pantagraph, State Journal Register, Chicago Sun-Times, and others.

Remote Access to Additional Online Databases

March 2001
The University Library now provides remote access to over 40 online databases via Library ID number (i.e. 21711 plus your 9-digit WIU campus ID number).

New Remote Access to Online Databases

January 2001
The University Library now provides remote access via Library Identification number to seven significant library bibliographic databases. EBSCO's Academic Search Elite, Business Source Elite, Newspaper Source, and Health Source Plus offer thousands of full-text articles online. EDRS, a service providing ERIC/RIE full-text documents (ED######) from 1993 to the present is now available as are America: History and Life and Historical Abstracts. Use your 14-digit library identification number (i.e. 21711 plus your 9-digit WIU campus ID number). Links to these databases are available on the library's Online Databases webpage (see also the new proxy service providing access to a number of online sources).