Group 6: Geographical Resources Geographical Societies and Associations Smriti Grover March 18, 2013 LIS 6120 – Access to Information Professor Jen Pecoskie

Geographical Societies & Associations  Initiate and coordinate geographical research  Promote participation of geographers to increase awareness about geography  Promote education and application of geography; scientific discussions and publications  Promote understanding of our planet, environment, people, culture and history Common Functions and Objectives:

Some Prominent Geographical Societies  In USA: American Geographical Society Association of American Geographers National Geographical Society  In UK: Geographical Association Royal Geographical Society  In Canada: Canadian Association of Geographers Royal Canadian Geographical Society  Global: International Geographical Union

American Geographical Society  Founded in 1851  Oldest geographical organization in USA  Headquarters in New York, NY  Comprises largely of professional geographers. Hence, reliable source of information for government and students  Mission: Link business, professional and scholarly worlds in the creation and application of geographical knowledge and techniques to address economic, social and environmental problems (American Geographical Society. Retrieved March 15, 2013 from

American Geographical Society  Publications:  Website: Hosts an extensive map collection. AGS Library online provides cartographic, photographic, monographic and GIS Data through UWM Libraries Geographical Review : contains original and authoritative articles on all aspects of geography, regional issues, book reviews FOCUS on Geography : Full color quarterly journal. Contains articles by academic & professional geographers, maps and photos Retrieved from

National Geographic Society  Founded in 1888  Located in Washington D.C.  One of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world  Mission: To increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world’s cultural, historical and natural resources(National Geographic. (n.d.). Retrieved from  Geo-literacy efforts through publications, online resources for teachers of all grades and students  Daily news and latest developments on webpage and television broadcast

National Geographic Society  Publications/ Magazines: Easy to understand, attractive layout to inspire knowledge about our planet  National Geographic Magazine  National Geographic for kids  National Geographic Little kids  National Geographic Traveler  Television:  National Geographic Channel  Nat Geo Wild  Geographic Series on PBS  Films and documentaries  Website: geographic.com  Current, reliable and free information supported by research on topics such as travel, photography, environment conservation, maps and daily news on geography Illustrations retrieved March 14, graphic.com/magazines /

Association of American Geographers  Founded in  Later amalgamated with American Society of professional geographers in 1948  Current Headquarters in Washington, DC  Publications :  The Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Original innovative peer reviewed articles with emphasis on Environmental Sciences and GIS. Available online for members  The professional Geographer: Short articles on academic and applied geography; book reviews; new ideas and philosophy  AAG Newsletter : Latest research and developments  Guide to Geography Progress in America: for prospective students to the degree and certification programs

Association of American Geographers  Upcoming publication: AAG International Encyclopedia of geography, 15 Volumes. Hardcover and Digital copy. Aimed to be an authoritative reference work in the field of geography. Contributions by professional geographers, GIS scientists and geographic societies from all over the world  Website:  Extremely interactive with precise, current, and reliable information by authoritative figures in the field of geography  Providing interactive discussions and blog  Easy online access to publications

Royal Geographical Society  Founded in 1830 as UK’s learned society & professional body for geography and geographers  Headquarters located in Kensington, London, UK  Objective: Advancing geography and geographical education  RGS-IBG support and promote geographical research, fieldwork and expeditions  Involved in policy issues and professional accreditation  Publications: The Geographical Journal: Focuses on public debates and policy oriented agendas Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers: One of the foremost journals of geographical research om/journal/

Royal Geographical Society  Publications continued…… WIREs Climate Change: Review journal providing encyclopedic reference for climate change. Developed in association with Royal Meteorological Society Guides of Researches : Free downloadable guides to publish research work  Website:  Access to contents of the journals, expedition training advice, latest advancements under ‘Geography Today’  Relevant Links based on your specific interest in the ‘Who are you’ section

Geographical Association  Founded in 1893  Located in Sheffield, UK  Objective: Furthering geographical knowledge and understanding through education, supporting teachers, students, academics at all levels of education through journal, publications, training events, projects, websites and by lobby government about importance of geography (Geographical Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Geographical Association  Publications: Primary Geography : For primary teachers delivering the geography curriculum Teaching Geography : For teachers in secondary schools and colleges, introducing to resources, recent developments and profession opportunities in this field Geography: For lecturers and students in post secondary and higher education. Used internationally as source of reference  Website: Focuses on promoting quality education in the field of geography for all the age groups of geography enthusiasts

Canadian Association of Geographers  Founded in  Headquarters located in Montreal, QC, Canada  Commitment: Focuses on practicing geographers, promoting and disseminating research, geographical education nationally & internationally  CAS has regional ‘divisions’ for each province namely, Atlantic, Ontario, Prairie, and Western

Canadian Association of Geographers  Publishing: The Canadian Geographer: The Journal of The Canadian Association of Geographers : Featuring research paper challenging the status quo and technical issues CAG Newsletter: Accessible free digital copy online. Published 3 times per year CAG Annual Directory : Reference for researches and publications of the geography departments in Canadian universities and government agencies  Website: Focusing on practicing geographers and students with quality content promoting education and publications Retrieved March 14, 2013 from cag-acg.ca

Royal Canadian Geographical Society  Founded in 1929  Headquarters located at Ottawa, Canada  Motto: Making Canada better known to Canadians and the world  Dedicated to creating deeper appreciation for Canada – its people, culture, environmental and social challenges  Publications:  Canadian Geographic  Canadian Geographic Kids  Canadian Geographic Travel Magazine  Conducts educational & research programs; and expeditions  Website:  Informative links for latest news, programs, awards and geographic blog  Good Reference for travel related issues and maps

International Geographical Union  Founded in Brussels, Belgium in 1922  Operates within 34 ‘Commissions’ ranging from Applied Geography, Coastal Systems, Environment Evolution, Geographical Education, and Water Sustainability  One of its 7 objectives is to advance the development of international standards and the compatibility of the methods, nomenclatures and symbols used by geographers  Journals: “ Journal Database ” is hosted (initially compiled by University of Amsterdam) on its website with hundreds of journals from all over the world. Searchable by country, journal name, keywords, etc.  Website: Each commission hosts a link to their website where subject specific publications and projects can be referred Illustration Retrieved March 15, 2013 fromhttp:// online.org/site/?page_id=936

Some more Geographical Societies and Association……..  University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS): Universities have come together to advance better understanding of geographical processes and spatial relationships through improved methods, data and technology  The Geospatial Information & Technology Association: Focuses on applying GIS for telecom and utility services  California Geographic Information Association (CGIA): Coordinates GIS data development and other geographical information issues in California  European Geography Association: Network of students and young geographers built with intention of exchanging geographical knowledge  National Council for Geographic Education: Targets to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning. NCGE supports geography teaching at all levels—from kindergarten through university

Evaluation as Reference Source  Strengths:  Reliability: Participation and contributions from professional geographers provide reliable sources in the form of peer reviewed articles and research papers in the journals.  Currency: Latest events and developments can be found on the websites, newsletters, conferences and media broadcasts  Availability: Past issues of journals and reports can be accessed easily on most of the websites  Weakness:  Cost: Certain information is limited to members only Happy Searching!