Osher Map Library holds half a million rare maps, globes and atlases

The Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine in Portland holds half a million rare maps, globes and atlases. The oldest items in the collection date back to the 15th century.

Report on the collection

CBS News covers the collection in a video report by correspondent Martha Teichner. She explores how cartographers depicted the world in their works, using materials from the library's collection.

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The report mentions maps with whimsical, political or deliberately distorted depictions. These examples show different ways in which cartographers represented the world on maps.

Maps in the GPS era

A separate part of the report is devoted to the role of maps in the era of GPS navigation. CBS News notes that maps are not obsolete despite the spread of digital navigation technologies. The original broadcast of the report is dated May 17, 2026.