1. GIS and the GCMC: An Introduction to New Services from University Libraries
Kristin Partlo, Information Services Librarian
Angie Gibson, GIS Specialist
Jack Yun, GCMC GA

2. Definition of GIS Geographic Information Systems
An organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information.

3. History of GIS & Libraries
GIS around for 20 + years
In libraries by late 1980’s, early 1990’s
Presence and use increased in recent years
Decreased price
More digital U.S. Government data
GIS Literacy Project
Increased presence on campuses

4. Why GIS in the library?
Access to geographic information across formats
Allows patrons to use digital data in the library
Accommodates the addition of GIS and spatial analysis to many academic curricula

5. What is GIS? ...More Than Just Software
GIS is a System of computer software, hardware and data, and personnel to help manipulate, analyze and present information that is tied to a spatial location .
Spatial location – usually a geographic location
Information – visualization of analysis of data
System – linking software, hardware, data
Personnel – A thinking explorer who is key to the power of GIS.
...More Than Just Software

6. The Five Points of GIS

7. What is Not GIS? GPS – Global Positioning System
A static map – paper or digital
Maps are often a “product” of a GIS
A way to visualize the analysis
A software package

8. An abstraction of the real world
What is GIS?
GIS Layers
Real World
An abstraction of the real world

9. Data – Two Basic Types Raster – Grid Vector – Linear “pixels”
A location and value
Satellite images and aerial photos are in this format
Vector – Linear
Points, lines and polygons
“Features” (house, lake, etc.)
Attributes
Size, type, length, etc.

10. Points (Retail stores) Areas/Polygons/Regions
Data – Vector
Real-world entities are abstracted into three
basic shapes
Points (Retail stores)
Lines/Arcs/Routes
(Streets)
Areas/Polygons/Regions
(Land uses)

11. Data- Raster
Aerial Photo of O and 7th Street, Washington, D.C.

12. Types of questions GIS can answer:
Which parcels are owned by John Doe?
Which of John Doe’s parcels are within 1 mile of a highway and valued over $100k?
What is the shortest path between all of John Doe’s properties?
What is the quickest path between all of John Doe’s properties?

13. Who Uses GIS? Emergency Services – Fire and Police
Environmental – Monitoring and Modeling
Business – Site Location, Delivery Systems
Industry – Transportation, Communication, Mining, Pipelines, Healthcare
Government – Local, State, Federal, Military
Education – Research, Teaching Tool, Administration
Wherever Spatial Data Analysis is Needed

14. How GIS affects you everyday. GIS in Delaware County
Policy Making –
Both the City of Muncie and Delaware County have sophisticated GIS systems that are instrumental in policy making, and planning of our community.
Emergency Management-
The Delaware County Emergency Management Office uses GIS for determining where to place tornado sirens, tracking smoke plumes, and are currently developing a GIS based 911 system.
The Muncie Sanitary District –
Uses GIS to manage, monitor and plan out their lines.
Various Utilities –
phone, water, electric, cable, satellite

15. Where Do We Get The Data? Digitized Maps
CAD / Survey / Field Sampling of Attributes
Video
Tabular Data / Databases
Scanning in Maps
Remote Sensing and Aerial Photography
GPS

16. The Output
Animations
Applications
Data
Maps
Charts
Reports

17. Hardcopy Map Internet (HTML) Project Files Image File
GIS Data
Project Files
Image File

18. Graphs
Maps
Reports

19. Animations
Old Rag Mountain, VA flyby
Click on image to view animation

20. Online Applications National Atlas GIS Atlas for Indiana
Hamilton County Map Room

21. Geospatial Center/ Map Collection

22. GCMC – What’s Available
8 GIS Workstations
-Intel Pentium 4 Processor, 3.0 Ghz
-1.00 GB of RAM
-130 GB Hard Drive
-CD/CDR/CDRW/DVD Combo Drive
-ZIP 750 Drive
-2 LCD Flat Monitors per Station
1 Public Workstation
-Intel Pentium 3 Processor, 500 Mhz
-256k of Ram
-37 GB Hard Drive
-DVD/CD-ROM Drive
-Zip 250 Drive

23. GCMC – What’s Available
Software
Microsoft Windows XP Professional version 2002
ArcGIS 8.3
ArcView 3.3
Geomedia Professional 5.1
Microsoft Office XP- Word, Excel, Access, PowerPiont
Roxio Easy CD Creater 5
Adobe Reader 6.0
WinZip
Future Peripherals
Hewlett Packard B/W laser Printer
Flat Bed Scanner
HP 1055CM Large Format Plotter

24. Some Typical Library Activities:
Collecting
Organizing
Providing Access
Reference Assistance and Instruction
Forming Partnerships

25. Anticipated Services Data Provision Technical Assistance
GIS Instruction
Reference Assistance
A physical space with the equipment and staff necessary to locate, acquire, and use information provided by our collection

26. Data Provision
Provide access to locally collected and produced data through partnerships
Selecting & organizing online resources on Web site
Hosting data locally
Reference assistance

27. Technical Assistance
Fully functional lab with space for students to save projects
Help reformatting, projecting, setting scale
In general, helping patrons already familiar with GIS to work through glitches

28. Anticipated Services Data Provision Technical Assistance
GIS Instruction
Reference Assistance
A physical space with the equipment and staff necessary to locate, acquire, and use information provided by our collection

29. A Real Life Example:
A landscape architect student has an assignment to create a landscape plan for a city block in downtown Muncie…. He’s going to need an aerial photo, a topographic map, parcel lines, ROW, and any other information he can get.
Where we come in:
First, we can give him hard copy topo maps, aerials and parcel lines. But, he wants them all to be at the same scale, so that he can design over them. Also the data isn’t current…he needs the most current information possible.
So, we suggest that he use GIS. We give him the contact information of the Delaware County GIS office to get permission to use the data. Then he simply uses one of our GIS lab stations to pull up all the data he needs regarding his study area using our GIS software. He can then overlay the necessary data, all at a specified scale, and displayed to best fit his needs. He can then print off his map, or do his design work on the computer using GIS.