During this University Library showcase of the Special Collections, curator Marco van Egmond will show a number of beautiful applications and possibilities of georeferencing using practical examples.

For ten years now, the Utrecht University Library has been georeferencing parts of its collection of maps: that means digitally positioning a scan of an old map over a modern reference map. By doing this, the library makes the scanned maps more geographically accessible. In addition, the cards will become more (re)usable, especially for education and research.

The library uses online crowdsourcing to georeference the subcollections. In this way thousands of interesting old maps have become widely available by and for students, scientists and the general public. Georeferencing leads to an outright enrichment of the scanned material. The old maps get an innovative update, and with it a new, virtual life.

An old and new map of Rotterdam in the grid view in Georeferencer.

3D-view of a map of a part of the Swiss Alps.

Read more about georeferencing of old maps and how the University Library uses it here.

Dr. Marco van Egmond is curator of maps, atlases and printed works at the University Library Utrecht. Besides that, he has experience in archival research, journalism, art history and geography.