Mission & History

Our Mission and Values

Adopted June 17, 2020

The Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library inspires curiosity and learning, and fosters geographic perspectives on the relationships between people and places, through free and accessible collections and resources, critical interpretation and research, and K-12 and public education.

Values

Commit to integrity, excellence, respect in all our relationships, and professional library ethics*
Listen to and include community voices, especially those who have been less represented
Increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in our organization and our work with others
Work to advance a more just and equitable society
Keep our spaces and community services open, welcoming, and “free to all”

*American Library Association Code of Ethics; Association of College and Research Libraries Code of Ethics for Special Collections Librarians

History of the Center

The Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library, created in 2004, is a nonprofit organization established as a public-private partnership between the Library and philanthropist Norman Leventhal. Its mission is to use the collection of 200,000 maps and 5,000 atlases for the enjoyment and education of all through exhibitions, educational programs, and a website that includes more than 10,000 digitized maps at collections.leventhalmap.org. The map collection is global in scope, dating from the 15th century to the present, with a particular strength in maps and atlases from the New England region, American Revolutionary War period, nautical charts, and world urban centers.

The Leventhal Map & Education Center is located on the first floor of the Library’s historic McKim Building in Copley Square. It includes an exhibition gallery that features changing thematic exhibitions; kids’ nooks with map puzzles, books, and activities; a public learning center with research books; and a reading room for rare map research

Educational programs for students in grades K-12 are offered to school groups on site and in the classroom. Lesson plans based on national standards are available on the website, and professional development programs for teachers are scheduled regularly throughout the year.

The Leventhal Map & Education Center is ranked among the top ten in the United States for the size of its collection, the significance of its historic (pre-1900) material, and its advanced digitization program. It is unique among the major collections because it also combines these features with exceptional educational programs to advance geographic literacy among students in grades K to 12 and enhance the teaching of subjects from history to mathematics to language arts. The collection is also the second largest in the country located in a public library, ensuring unlimited access to these invaluable resources for scholars, educators, and the general public.

Annual Reports

Our Annual Reports can be accessed through each link below. The Leventhal Center’s fiscal year runs July 1 - June 30.