Using Google Maps to bring out your library’s local collections

One of my former students, Mikael Jacobsen, has an article in the NetConnect at LJ:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6602836.html

The Historical Map of Franklin Park has proven to be the most popular and has been viewed over 8700 times since it was first published in late May 2008. It was originally conceived as a simple visual guide to the history of FPPL. However, once I discovered how easy it is to build a custom My Map, I filled out the content to include more on the entire city’s history. Working with the approval and under the supervision of the Local History Museum of Franklin Park (which, happily, is housed in the FPPL building), we organized and developed the Historical Map of Franklin Park.

The icons on the Historical Map are separated into five groups, each a different color: yellow for library history, blue for early European settlers, red for historically significant places of worship, green for schools, and purple for businesses. When an icon is clicked, an image of a historical building, person, or family and the accompanying story pops up.

Good work, Mick!