by Divine Mbabazi | IANR Media
Visitors to the first floor of Hardin Hall on East Campus will notice something unusual about the academic building — a map and gift store showcasing items ranging from elegant canvas bags to flying squirrel-themed T-shirts and massive maps.
Initially starting out as a Cartography Shop and Maps Repository on City Campus, the shop, Nebraska Maps & More, has evolved over the years and today features many items that are representative of the School of Natural Resources, including visors, hats, books, magnets, handmade jewelry and other items celebrating the natural world, said store manager, Jacki Loomis.
In particularly, the store takes the “maps” portion of its name seriously, Loomis said.
“It takes 1,439 U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps to cover the whole state of Nebraska on the scale of 1:24,000, and we have every one of them here available for sale here at the store or online at no cost,” she said.
Although the widespread availability of smartphones and other digital devices has made digital maps more popular, they still have limitations, Loomis said. For instance, in cases of poor internet connection when researchers go out into the field, digital maps may not be accessible. Furthermore, Nebraska Maps & More has maps covering Nebraska from as early as the 1930s to the 1970s.
Following its merger with the School of Natural Resources about 16 years ago, Nebraska Maps & More has expanded to include products that support SNR’s program areas, including fish and wildlife.
For example, the store published the book, “Fishes of Nebraska,” which is geared toward Nebraska residents interested in fish, as well as stakeholders and policy makers.
“We would like to think that our publications are going to be meaningful to me and you, also maybe to the state legislators downtown trying to make decisions,” Loomis said.
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More details at: https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/nebraska-maps-more-store-expands-selection/