Lending Policies

Circulating Atlases

Approximately 4,500 atlases and texts about maps and cartography circulate with the same loan periods as other normal library materials and are available for interlibrary loans.

Geologic Maps

Approximately 14,000 folded geologic maps from the various USGS series and state geological surveys circulate freely. They are searchable in the library's catalog. They may be identified by the location "MSU Maps & Geospatial Services Compact Shelving". Ask at the Maps & Geospatial Services service desk, as the folded Geology maps are in locked stacks.

Non-Circulating Materials

Most other Maps & Geospatial Services items do not circulate except by special permission. This includes oversized atlases (designated as Supersize or Flat Atlases), sheet maps, globes, and reference books. Special Permission will not be granted for anything determined to be rare or fragile. The main library has several options for scanning and copying items and the Maps & Geospatial Services also has two oversized scanners. Please contact the Map Librarian for more information.