Joan Dawson is a member of the Lunenburg County Historical Society, the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Archaeology Society, and the Antiquarian Club of Halifax, and she is a fellow of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society. She has written many articles on maps and local history, co-authored Historic LaHave River Valley, and authored Nova Scotia's Historic Rivers, Nova Scotia's Lost Highways, The Mapmaker's Eye, and The Mapmakers' Legacy. Joan lives in Halifax.