In addition to its various print collections, the Arkansas State Library also provides access to a wide range of online databases. These are available to patrons free of charge on the in-house public computers, and can be accessed remotely by State Employees who have applied for remote access privileges.
One of the interesting databases is the Digital Sanborn Map collection. This is a collection of fire insurance maps, some going back as far as 1867. According to the ProQuest information page "Sanborn maps are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. They are large-scale plans containing data that can be used to estimate the potential risk for urban structures. This includes information such as the outline of each building, the size, shape and construction materials, heights, and function of structures, location of windows and doors. The maps also give street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers."
The Arkansas State Library has access to all of the Arkansas maps in the collection, including those for Little Rock, Arkadelphia, Hot Springs, Fayetteville, and Texarkana. For more information about how to access the maps, please contact the library or visit our website.
