Fellowship in the history of cartography

University of Maine

The University of Southern Maine announces a fellowship in the history of cartography at the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education for the 2001-2002 academic year. This opportunity is ideal for an advanced (ABD) or recently completed doctoral student who seeks to establish or to expand a rigorous foundation in cartographic history, even as s/he pursues a specific research agenda. The fellowship is open to researchers from all disciplines.

The Osher Map Library is a rare map library located on the Portland campus of USM. It contains some 60,000 maps, dating from 1475 to the present, together with a substantial collection of reference works to support cartographic research. The library's cartographic collections are varied, but emphasize the centuries before 1900 and have a particular focus on Maine, New England, and North America generally. It services not only the academic research community, but also the university community and, through an aggressive outreach program, K-12 educators and the general public. More information about the map library, its collections, and its programs can be found on its web site: http://usm.maine.edu/maps.

The successful fellow will have three areas of responsibility. (1) S/he will provide some interpretive support for the staff of the map library. (2) S/he will be responsible for special classes for university courses held within the map library; in the past, these courses have ranged from Art, to English, to History, to Modern Languages, but they would be tailored to the fellow's experience and expertise. (3) S/he will pursue a coherent research program in cartographic history, using the resources of the Osher Map Library and perhaps other archives in southern Maine; this research program can be either cartobibliographic or analytical in nature. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the Osher Map Library's faculty scholar, Matthew H. Edney edney@usm.maine.edu or (207) 780-4767 to discuss the nature of the fellow's responsibilities and possible research programs. The fellowship carries a stipend of $25,000 with benefits.

Applications should include a current c.v., a single-page statement of the applicant's interests and experience in the history of cartography, and a single-page description of a research program to be completed while in residence. Review of applications will begin April 23.

Completed applications should be sent to:

Stephen C. Bloom,
Director of University Libraries
University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME 04104-9301

The University of Southern Maine is a member of the University of Maine System