Researchers are able to search Island Imagined to find maps according to the information they contain. This includes searches by place names, date, subject, creator, and medium (e.g. manuscript or published map). Information such as the title, location, and date of the map can usually be found in the description tab, but other information can be gleaned from the titles, legends, scale bars, and north arrow or compass rose which are often visible on the document itself. Information on the provenance of most of the cadastral maps is scarce, and most of the metadata has been recreated from the documents themselves.
Once found, the map image and map description may be explored using the Island Imagined navigation tools. The possibilities for using each map in the collection to examine landscape and land use patterns will vary by the creative approaches of each reader.
It perhaps goes without saying that the features of the natural and built environment in historical maps should be tested against other sources to determine accuracy. For instance, it would be useful to compare areas in Meacham’s Illustrated Atlas with other contemporary cadastral maps to identify changes in ownership and property dimensions. As in all historical work, readers should consider the authorship, purpose, and intended audience of the map as a primary source. They should also set the information in context by considering what the author knew at the time and how he or she understood the contemporary world represented by the map.