The Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education is located on the first floor of the Glickman Library at 314 Forest Avenue, in Portland, Maine. Learn more about our collections, programs, and current events at our website, oshermaps.org, or contact us for more information.

Below are answers to some of our commonly asked questions:

We are open to the public and welcome visitors of all ages. The OML is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Saturdays 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM by appointment. You can find more information about our hours and parking on our website.

Please note that if the University is closed due to inclement weather, the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education is also closed. All gallery and research appointments will be cancelled for that day.

All of our programming is free and open to members of the public. You can find up-to-date information about our current programs, lectures, workshops, and gallery exhibitions on our website.

We have over 18,000 images available on our website, oshermaps.org, to browse and download for research and non-commercial personal use. Our Cartographic Reference and Teaching Librarian, Louie Miller, is available to assist with navigating our online collections and for research inquiries.

Some Tips for Searching the Collections:

  • You can search by country, region, maker, or type (atlas, sheet map, etc.).
  • If you aren’t sure what you are looking for, it is best to use the broadest possible keywords, and check the “show only results with images.” box.
  • If you are looking for a very specific thing, for instance a map showing property lines in Cumberland County, Maine, in 1752, it is best to start with the keyword “Maine”, limit the date (there is a slider on the search page that allows you to choose a date range) to 1752, and check the “show only results with images.” box.

Permission to examine the collections of the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education is not an authorization to publish them. Please contact us regarding questions about using our images for publication, exhibition, or commercial use.

Image requests for hi-resolution digital files of items in our collections can be completed using our Image Request Form. Use of our images for publication, exhibition, and commercial use require the use of this form.

The Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education is open by appointment on Saturdays and closed on Sundays. You can make a Saturday research appointment or gallery visit on our website, or call to plan your visit.

Yes! K-12 educational outreach is central to our mission, and we invite children of all ages to visit and engage with our spaces.

We invite and encourage photography of items in the collections, though we ask that no flash is used. We also welcome visitors to share their photos on social media and tag us (Instagram @oshermaplibrary, or on Facebook @oshermaps).