Preserving the History of Computer Cartography at the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress Geography & Map Division's History of Computer Cartography and Geographic Information Sciences Archive is a large-scale ongoing project to collect materials (including maps, algorithms, correspondence, technical papers, data, software and more) related to the founding of computer cartography, often referred to as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which includes both the evolution of GIS software and the development of satellite imaging. This survey paper looks to the archive for examples of GIS origins in industry, government and academia that created fundamental advancements in geospatial technology and where primary source archival documents illuminate the contingent processes through which abstract spatial logics became operational.