The Literary & Cultural Heritage Maps of Pennsylvania is a digital humanities project that connects readers, educators, and researchers to the Commonwealth’s robust literary and cultural history.
Purpose and Scope
Our mission is to document and celebrate Pennsylvania’s literary and cultural contributions through biographies, feature articles, and geospatial maps. The project currently includes:
- 1,000+ biographies of Pennsylvania authors and cultural figures
- 300+ feature articles on history, arts, and culture
- Interactive Literary and Cultural Heritage Maps with accompanying curricular materials
We aim to represent all regions, eras, and communities—spotlighting historically underrepresented groups including women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ persons, and people with disabilities.
Guiding Principles
- Represent all geographic and demographic groups contributing to Pennsylvania’s literary and cultural heritage
- Prioritize accessibility and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve in every aspect of the project
- Maintain scholarly accuracy and transparency
- Support educators, historians, librarians, and students through authorship and editorial opportunities
Using and Citing Literary and Cultural Heritage Map Content
All content is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0) and may be shared with attribution.
Recommended MLA Citation (9th) Format for Citing a Biography
Last name, First name. "Title of Entry." Literary and Cultural Heritage Maps of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Center for the Book, date of last update, URL.
Sample MLA (9th) citation for Citing a Biography
Jalowitz, Alan. “Anna Grossnickle Hines.” Literary and Cultural Heritage Maps of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Fall 2020, https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/Hines__Anna_Grossnickle.
Recommended MLA Citation (9th) Format for Citing a Map
Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Title of Map. ArcGIS Experience Builder, Esri, URL.
Sample MLA Citation (9th) Format for Citing a Map
Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Literary Heritage Map. ArcGIS Experience Builder, Esri, https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/5699507c722c4e3682df2e6cf1123da0.
History and Evolution
Founded in 2000 by Dr. Steven Herb, the project grew with the collaboration of Dr. Alan Jalowitz, who introduced the feature article series and expanded its scope. The Maps have evolved with new technologies and a commitment to diversity and inclusive representation. Librarian Bernadette Lear, with support from an editorial board, established formal inclusion criteria and a structured editorial process to guide content development. In 2019-2020, Bednar intern Marianne Black refined the project’s geospatial data and redesigned the chronological maps into a more user-friendly format. In 2024, Michael Cattell of Penn State's GeoGraphics Lab further enhanced the Maps' design and accessibility using Esri Experience Builder and advanced geospatial tools.
Get Involved
The project welcomes new contributors and collaborators to help shape its future!
You can:
- Nominate people or topics for inclusion
- Suggest corrections or updates
- Contribute new entries
- Use the Maps in teaching or research
- Support our work through the Steven Herb Literary Legacy Fund
Contact Ellysa Stern Cahoy, Director of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, with questions, feedback, or collaboration ideas at pacftb@psu.edu.
Acknowledgments
This project is supported by the Penn State University Libraries, with contributions from faculty, staff, students, and interns across the university. We are grateful to all who have advanced the project through writing, research, technical design, and editorial work, including the contributions of Lock Haven, West Chester, and Duquesne University students.