Fire Insurance Maps Online (FIMo)

FIMo is a searchable database of color fire insurance maps, real estate atlases, plat books, and other historical maps of Massachusetts. Commonly known as Sanborn maps, these illustrations of high-definition show building structures, construction details, past property uses and their ownership, location of roads, railroads, and many other useful information.

Genealogists, historians, preservationists and others researching cities and buildings will find these maps very helpful. You can access this resource from our databases page. In-library use is available from all of our branches while remote access requires a WPL library card.

Insurance Maps of Worcester, Massachusetts, Volume One, 1936 Sheet 18

Perform an Interactive Map Search or a Place Name Search to find map locations for towns in Massachusetts. Once you identify the map of interest, it can be downloaded as a JPEG image or saved as a PDF document to print. Each map comes with a Key which explains the map symbols and corresponding colors. If the map was revised at any time, the Correction Record would include the dates changes were made.

Key to Volume One, Insurance Maps of Worcester, Massachusetts

For help with search tools and interpreting Sanborn maps, click on the appropriate topic in the drop down menu on the top. 

If you need help researching this database, contact us at 508-799-1655, ext. 3 to speak with a librarian, or email us your question.

New Electronic Resources @ WPL

 CRAFT & HOBBY

An online platform that caters to a wide range of interests to fun and creative educational resources.  One can explore in-depth instructional videos and classes to learn a new hobby or improve existing skills. Sewing, fitness, cake decorating, woodworking, crochet, painting, knitting, photography and many more activities are available. Some content is also available in Spanish. Classes cater to both beginners and advanced learners, and individuals can learn at their own pace. Some content is also available in Spanish.

PRESSREADER

A digital newsstand featuring more than 7,000 of the world's popular newspapers and magazines in many languages. Enjoy instant access to news and articles from thousands of miles away in full-color, full-page format. It includes advertisements, classifieds and everything else you would see on the paper format. it's just like reading the print edition! Download the app for use with a mobile device.

LOTE4KIDS

A storybook read along platform for young children, where you can read and listen to books in more than 60 languages. Families who want to teach their children another language from the comforts of their home will find this resource very helpful. Every title is fully animated with English translations to help kids learn languages and develop reading and listening skills. Parents and caregivers may also find access to American Sign Language very useful. Download the app for use with a mobile device.

All resources are available from our database pages for both in-library and remote use. A WPL card is required for remote access. 

Reference Shelf: Government Documents

As a reference librarian here at the Worcester Public Library, I often see patrons searching for reliable and trustworthy information on a wide range of topics. From environmental research to health resources, government documents are a valuable resource for library patrons. In this blog post, I’d like to explore what government documents are and what you’ll find here at WPL.

Government documents are publications produced by the federal government. They provide all different types of information on a wide range of topics, including technical scientific data, general overviews of a currently political topics, weather, and health.  U.S. laws, regulations, and even the constitution, are also all government documents.

There are good reasons to keep government documents in mind when doing research.  Lots of time, effort, and expertise are used to make sure the government has the best information possible to provide to the public and make decisions, making these documents quite authoritative.  In some cases, like the census, the government has the only real comprehensive data set.  Government documents are also generally free of copyright, meaning they can be reused.   

The Worcester Public Library has been a depository library since 1859, which means we have been receiving and housing government documents for more than 150 years!  Because of this long tenure, WPL has a large collection of government documents, with some dating back more than a hundred years.

Most government documents are held in WPL’s basement, so if you are searching our catalog and see an item with an unusual call number, don’t hesitate to ask a librarian to help you find it.  Chances are you have stumbled upon a government document and it will need to be retrieved for you.  Newer documents can be found displayed on the second floor alongside a display of recently returned or used government documents.

Reference Librarian Ben Izaurralde poses with his display of U.S. Government documents on #LibraryShelfieDay at the Worcester Public Library in Worcester, MA. This library has been part of the #FDLP since 1859. @worcester_PL pic.twitter.com/dinCstUxLx

— USGPO (@USGPO) January 25, 2023

In keeping with the Government Publishing Office’s mission of “keeping America informed,” most government documents are now available online.  The information is not all in one place however, and you will generally need to go to the website of the agency which published the information to find what you need.  Fortunately, documents from a number of different government agencies can be searched and found through our catalog.   If you need to view one of these documents, just look for the link under the ‘Electronic resources’ heading in the record.  This link will take you directly to the document.

There is certainly more that can be said about government documents, so if you have more questions, don't hesitate to reach out.  We are here to help you find the answers to all your burning questions.