Welcome to Orange County

When most people hear the words Orange County their minds probably immediately think of that county in California that had a whole TV series named after it. The Orange County I am referencing is definitely not that one. I am talking about Orange County, North Carolina, which is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This county has also been my home for the past few months.

My first semester as a dual-degree student at UNC in Library Science and Art History was a rather hectic one that kept me from posting. Before too much time has passed, I wanted to share a project and mapping assignment that I completed on my new home for a course I took at Cleveland State University on cartography (click on the image above). Doing the project was a lot of fun because it helped me research the area before moving. While some facts and figures on Orange County are included, keep in mind that the main focus of the assignment was the creation of maps. The class focused on gaining skills using MapInfo, but also covered the history of map making and the politics behind them. The course also introduced me to the mental maps of Kevin Lynch and Ian McHarg's text Design with Nature.

On the subject of the politics of mapping, during my first semester I did have the chance to see a cartography exhibition at Duke's Nasher Museum. It explored the relationship between mapping and empires. For more information on this past exhibition, click here.