I am delighted to introduce Evan Thornberry as the new Head & Curator of the David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford Libraries. With his wealth of experience and expertise in historical cartography and geospatial information, Evan is a perfect fit for this position.
Evan comes to us from the University of British Columbia (UBC) Library, where he serves as the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Librarian and plays a crucial role in supporting teaching, learning, and research with geospatial information and cartographic materials. Before UBC, he held the position of Reference and Geospatial Librarian at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library (BPL). At the BPL, Evan led various reference and technology projects, demonstrating his expertise in applying geospatial technology to manage an impressive collection of approximately 200,000 historical maps and 5,000 atlases dating back to 1482.
With over a dozen years of professional experience in map collection and spatial technology roles, Evan has established himself as an expert and collaborator in the field. He has contributed significantly to the community through publications and presentations on web mapping and digital collections, and his active involvement in the Geo4LibCamp community has been invaluable.
Evan received his BA in Geography and Social Science from Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University, and completed his MLIS at University of Washington.
Beyond his professional achievements, Evan has a deep appreciation for nature and the outdoors. He finds joy in hiking, biking, and simply relishing the beauty of the natural world.
As Evan steps into the role of Head & Curator of the David Rumsey Map Center, we eagerly look forward to working with him to make his vision for the David Rumsey Map Center a reality. His dedication to collaborative work will bring new possibilities for serving our patrons and transforming our map collections in ways that make them more accessible to research, teaching and enjoyment by our patrons at Stanford University, and beyond.
Evan will begin his tenure with the David Rumsey Map Center on October 16th, 2023, which is also the week of this year’s Barry Ruderman Conference on Cartography. A perfect week to take the helm and experience the center at its busiest and best.
Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Evan Thornberry as he embarks on this exciting new chapter at the David Rumsey Map Center. Together, let us celebrate the knowledge, experience, and passion he brings to enrich our understanding of our historical cartography collections at Stanford University.
Welcome, Evan!
Stace Maples
Assistant Director of Geospatial Collections & Services
Head, Stanford Geospatial Center at Branner Library
Interim Head & Curator, The David Rumsey Map Center