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Individual Databases

Use these resources at any Chicago Public Library location or from home, school, or work with a Chicago Public Library card.

CultureGrams » kid friendly teen pick
Find printable maps of countries, states, and Canadian provinces. Each report in the Kids, States, and Provinces editions has color detail maps as well as outline maps useful for homework assignments. Each of the over 200 country reports in World Edition includes a printable detail map of the featured country.

History Database Search » teen pick
Find thousands of maps illustrating historical political boundaries, events, and processes, from ancient Mesopotamia to the Iraq War. Users will find maps under the "maps and charts" tab in their search results or may browse for maps by selecting a particular database (for example, American History Online).

Illinois Sanborn Maps »
Illinois Sanborn Maps offers digitized versions of a huge number of fire insurance maps for the state of Illinois, including over one hundred volumes for the city of Chicago. TIP: If looking for a location in Chicago or a nearby suburb, start with the Index to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Chicago and take note of the series (1894-1897 or 1905-1951) and volumes for the neighborhood or suburb you're looking for.

*World Book » kid friendly teen pick
World Book offers a range of maps, both current and historical. Users may run a simple keyword search from the main page to get results that include maps; use the "search" tab to reach an advanced search screen where they may limit their search to current maps, historical maps, or both; or use the "atlas" tab to browse an interactive (that is, "clickable") world atlas.

* - indicates that the database is included in the Quick Search above.