MDL Blog

The Map & Data Library is running a series of GIS workshops throughout the semester. Learn the basics, get into spatial analysis, or explore how to create beatiful online stories with maps!
MDL workshop offerings
Our longstanding series of… Read more ...

Long before GPS told us where to turn, John George Bartholomew was showing the world where to go. Known as “the Prince of Cartography,” this Edinburgh-born mapmaker (1860–1920) transformed not only how we see the world but how we understand it. His… Read more ...

Did you know that the Map & Data Library provides extensive support for a qualitative data analysis tool called NVivo? 
NVivo is an well-known qualitative data analysis tool that's been around since 1997! It supports all the stages of a… Read more ...

It's National Forest Week and National Tree Day! To celebrate, we're highlighting a geospatial dataset representing Southern Ontario's historic (pre-European settlement) forest landcover. 
Our featured dataset (depicted above) was created by… Read more ...

October is going to be a busy month for qualitative data analysis!
First off, I am offering introductory workshops on two qualitative data analysis tools: NVivo and MAXQDA.
The week of October 6th, we are offering 4 workshops on NVivo:

NVivo for… Read more ...

The Map & Data Library has launched new support for a qualitative data analysis tool called MAXQDA. If you're familiar with NVivo, this is an excellent alternative to consider.
MAXQDA provides all the functionality you expect, such as importing… Read more ...

MDL has a new, self-serve portal for some of our largest and most-popular datasets: feel free to visit the MDL Data SharePoint! Open now to current U of T faculty, staff, and students.
Some datasets hosted there include:

Gallup polls, including the… Read more ...

We have just received the latest (2024) City of Toronto orthoimagery files, available to current U of T students, staff, and faculty.
Key features:

High-resolution images (TIFFs)
Ready to use in GIS
Mostly leaf-off imagery
4-band imagery, with a… Read more ...

Map projections have been in the news lately: representatives of the African Union and advocacy groups are calling for a replacement of the Mercator projection (used frequently online, like in Google Maps) with the Equal Earth map. But you may well… Read more ...

The Map & Data Library has collaborated with Robarts Library to create a book display on essential reads for data visualization!
Check out the display on the first floor of Robarts Library, near the escalators, and feel free to borrow the books… Read more ...

The Map & Data Library has a new monthly newsletter! Each month we will highlight key news and information on new workshops, datasets, staff, events, and more. We will also be using the newsletter to keep you up to date on how our space… Read more ...

MDL is pleased to announce that we have a new data catalogue! This catalogue allows you to search MDL's licensed data collections in all formats, including our geospatial, quantitative, and textual data.
The catalogue is a companion to our other… Read more ...

The University of Toronto has recently licensed six separate datasets from Revelio Labs. These datasets provide detailed information on the global workforce, with coverage for most running from 2007/2008 through to the end of 2024. These datasets… Read more ...

Hey, U of T! Do you want to learn new data skills and tools? 
Check out the Map & Data Library Workshop Series! We are offering a variety of online and in-person workshops (in Robarts 4th floor computer lab).
Topics include:

Data Cleaning… Read more ...

The Map & Data Library is excited to announce the launch of its official LinkedIn page!
Follow us to stay up to date with:
🗺️ Featured maps from our collections
📈 The latest data resources, tools, and updates
📰 News and announcements… Read more ...

On June 12, 2025, I delivered a conference paper based on my doctoral research on archaeological maps of the Silk Road.1 I tried to answer two cartographic questions:
First, what were routes from an archaeologist's maps doing in a confidential… Read more ...

Kelly Schultz, a Data Librarian at the Map & Data Library, has recently published two articles in The Journal of Academic Librarianship on her recent research leave results: "What makes students tick? Exploring factors that affect learner… Read more ...

This month’s featured map is A Literary Map of Canada, a 1936 map held in the Map & Data Library at the University of Toronto Libraries. A digital copy is available through the Map & Data Library’s Scanned Maps Collection.
In 1936, William… Read more ...

The Data Axle Historical Business Location Data provides information such as business location, number of employees, sales volume, NAICS & SIC codes, and unique identifiers across time for businesses and parent entities. This data is available… Read more ...

On June 12, 2025, two Map & Data Library staff members presented on how the library moved its collection of a quarter-million maps to the sub-basement of Robarts Library. Leanne Trimble (MDL Head and Data Librarian) and Nick Field (Data Support… Read more ...

We have received the latest datasets from Gallup.
Newest datasets:

World Poll, to March 2025
COVID-19 and Wellbeing, to Q2 2025
Gallup Poll Social Series:

January: Mood of the Nation to 2025
February: World Affairs Poll to 2025
March: Environment… Read more ...

MDL participated in a full-day mapping workshop with the Jackman Humanities Institute:https://www.humanities.utoronto.ca/news/cartographic-undergrounds-cartographic-underworlds-how-read-map
Co-organized by Alaa Attiah Mitwaly, Chloe Bordewich, and… Read more ...

We welcome Vicky Chung to the Map and Data Library as a Data Librarian focused on Research Data Management (RDM). For the next year, Vicky will provide RDM instruction and consultations and will support ongoing and emerging RDM projects. She is part… Read more ...

Infographics are a type of data visualization that involves a mix of text and images to tell a story. This combination of text and visuals is so powerful because it helps to convey messages effectively and allow people to comprehend them, and retain… Read more ...

Welcome to the inaugural "Map of the Month"! This series will highlight one map from the University of Toronto collections, providing a monthly snapshot of new, rare, historically significant, or just plain unusual maps.
This month's map is "Campus… Read more ...