Akron, Ohio, Aug. 23, 2005 Three historic Akron atlases housed at The University of Akron have become permanently preserved, and available to anyone with Internet access.
About two years ago the Friends of the University Library, an organization of people who support the university through gifts or monetary donations, gave Bierce Library $6,000 to have three of UA's atlases digitized.
The project is now completed and the atlases are available online through OhioLINK's digital media center at http://dmc.ohiolink.edu.
The atlases include the Combination Atlas and Map of Summit County, Ohio (1874); Illustrated Summit County, Ohio, (1891); and the Atlas and Industrial Geography of Summit County, Ohio (1910).
Due to heavy use and age, the paper atlases are rapidly deteriorating. The digitizing of these historic documents will guarantee their survival, says Peter Linberger, map librarian for Bierce Library.
Together, the three atlases contain 517 pages that include text, drawings of prominent buildings, pictures of community leaders, maps with school districts, detailed street maps, industries, and land ownership for Akron and the surrounding areas in Summit County. These features make them an important source of study for researchers and historians interested in Summit County, Linberger says.
