Map & Geographic Information Center (MAGIC)
Welcome to MAGIC
The Map and Geographic Information Center (a.k.a. MAGIC) is the largest collection of maps and other cartographic information, such as atlases, gazetteers and place name guides, in the state of New Mexico. As part of the Federal Depository Library Program it houses maps from the United States Geological Survey, The National Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Central Intelligence Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Other maps in the collection come from commercial map firms or from donated maps. Historic maps are an important part of our collection, including the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of New Mexico, historic road maps of New Mexico, and historic maps of the southwest and the Navajo Nation.
This page is designed to help get you started with your library research. For more detailed help, please see our map research guide. If you would like an orientation to the map room individually or as a class, please contact us to set up a time.
GIS Data
MAGIC has computers loaded with ArcGIS version 10. There is an easy-to-use tutorial available. You can generate an ArcView map if the necessary data sets are available.
See the digital mapping tab for additional digital mapping resources available for use.
Digital Mapping
New Mexico RGIS Clearinghouse data
ArcView/ArcGIS-friendly CD-ROM set featuring census-related data (population, age, income, etc.), hydrologic, hypsographic, transportation, power, city and county outlines and more.
Digital Raster Graphics
USGS Digital Raster Graphics for New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, as well as a few scattered DRGs for adjacent states.
ArcUSA, ArcWorld, and Digital Chart of the World
ESRI products that will allow users of ArcView or ArcGIS to create and manipulate maps.
NIMA data
Coverage for the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia
US Census TIGER/Line files
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing/Line files contain geographic features, such as roads, railroads, rivers, legal boundaries, etc. in the United States. MAGIC carries the TIGER/Line 1992 link and the 1995 update.
For more information about our digital and online map resources, please see our research guide.
Aerial Photography
MAGIC has an extensive collection of aerial photography for the City of Albuquerque ranging in dates from 1969 to 1990, in various scales. Some other areas of New Mexico are available with various dates and scales. More current aerial photography is accessed online.
For more aerial photography as well as satellite imagery please contact the Earth Data Analysis Center here on campus.
The Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections at Zimmerman Library also has a variety of aerial photography, especially in its pictorial and architectural archives. Use New Mexico Archives Online to search for these photographs.
Large Scale Scanning
MAGIC has a full-sized (36” wide) scanner that can be used to scan of most of the maps in our collection. It can scan in color or black and white. Scans can be saved electronically for free.
We also have a flatbed color scanner capable of scanning media up 12" x 17". Scanning is always free!
Please note that copyright restrictions apply to some maps. It is the patron's responsibility to be sure that copyright laws are not being violated. In case of doubt consult the map publisher or a copyright lawyer.
