A gallery attendant will sit outside the gallery space or in the reading room while visitors are in the gallery. Visitors are welcome to ask questions of the gallery attendant at any time.
Schedule a time to come and see our current exhibition:
"Founding Memories: America at 250" September 8, 2025 through June 13, 2026
For America's semiquincentennial (250th anniversary), the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education at the University of Southern Maine has organized a year-long exhibition that highlights how the iconography of the American Revolution has been incorporated onto a wide variety of maps and cartographic materials from the 1770s to the 1970s. Focusing on the themes of memory and commemoration, the exhibit examines 18th century cartographic portrayals of the Revolution in New England, including the land we now call Maine; maps created to address the provisions of the Treaty of Paris in 1783; maps and ephemera created for the 1876 centennial and the 1976 bicentennial commemorations; and posters from World Wars I and II and the Vietnam War that incorporate the iconography of the Revolution and 1776. Over the course of the 250 years, the ways in which the Revolutionary War has been portrayed on cartographic materials has continuously shifted and changed, ranging from celebratory and patriotic to challenging the nation to fully live up to its Revolutionary ideals of equality, freedom, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We ask viewers to contemplate: What is America at 250?
The exhibit is curated by Dr. Libby Bischof (OML Executive Director), Dr. Matthew Edney (OML Faculty Scholar and Osher Chair in the History of Cartography), Paul Fuller (OML Coordinator of Digital Projects and Digital Initiatives), Dr. Ashley Towle (Associate Professor of History at USM), and Dr. Adam Schmitt (Associate Professor of Teacher Education and History at USM), with assistance from Renee Keul and Brie Robichaud, OML's Educational Outreach team.
Gallery visits are available in one hour blocks, but visitors are invited to stay longer if desired.
Please check in with the gallery attendant in the reading room or at the welcome table prior to entering the gallery.
Food and drink are prohibited in the gallery and the reading room.
Bags, backpacks, briefcases, umbrellas, coats, and outer garments must be stored in a locker (key provided) or left with the reference staff in the reading room.
Please use pencils for taking notes – extra pencils are available at the reception desk in the reading room.
Guests may park in USM's Bedford Street Garage ($4.15/hour).
Please enter the Glickman Family Library and proceed through the arcade to the Osher Map Library reference room and gallery entrance. A staff member will be in the reading room or at the welcome table to greet you, check your registration, and facilitate your visit.
Face coverings are optional.
Do not make an appointment if you or someone in your household are unwell; are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms; have been exposed to someone with symptoms or confirmed COVID-19; or have been asked to self-quarantine.
Please postpone or cancel your appointment if you are exhibiting any COVID symptoms or meet any of the above criteria.
Note: Saturday appointments must be reserved by 2:00pm on the preceeding Friday. There will be no same day bookings on Saturdays.
If you can no longer keep your gallery visit appointment, we would appreciate you notifying us at oml-usm@maine.edu.
Please note that if the University is closed due to inclement weather that the Osher Map Library and Smith Center for Cartographic Education will be closed. All research and gallery appointments will be cancelled for that day.
For more information on University campus closures, please visit the USM Public Safety website.