LibGuides: Maps & Geography: GIS

About Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A GIS (Geographic Information System)...

“...lets us visualize, question, analyze, and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends."
(http://www.esri.com/what-is-gis)

"....is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data. The key word to this technology is Geography – this means that some portion of the data is spatial. In other words, data that is in some way referenced to locations on the earth." (http://researchguides.library.wisc.edu/GIS)

What Is GIS?
Short, informative video from the ESRI company explaining GIS essentials.
Geographic Information Systems
A more in-depth look at geographic information systems, from the Access Science database.

Selected GIS Resources

ESRI
ESRI is a major GIS software company and the creator of ArcGIS, an important GIS software product used around the world. While undoubtedly designed to showcase its own products, ESRI's website provides interesting examples of GIS applied to real world problems.
Explore Census Data
"Find tables, maps, and more."
Data Visualization Gallery from the US Census
The Data Visualization Gallery is part of the Census Bureau's efforts to increase its presentation of data in visual form. The gallery focuses on historical population data. Visualizations based on additional types of census data are planned for the future.
Maps Mania
The Maps Mania blog features digital interactive maps on a wide range of subjects, along with the tools used to create those maps.
My Maps from Google
My Maps allows you to easily create and share custom maps. You can add layers and locations, upload a spreadsheet of addresses, and more.
National Geographic Mapmaker Interactive
Mapmaker Interactive lets you select from a variety of base maps, which you can customize by adding a variety of layers showing data in such areas as food, climate and weather, human populations, and environment. You can further customize maps by adding text, shapes, photos and videos. Maps can be printed, saved, and shared.
Story Maps
This website features maps which tell important human, demographic, and socioeconomic stories. The maps are created using the Story Maps app from ESRI.
Spatial History Project - Stanford University
"The Spatial History Project at Stanford University is a place for a collaborative community of scholars to engage in creative spatial, textual and visual analysis to further research in the humanities."

Missouri GIS Resources

Interactive Maps from MO Office of Geospatial Information
Includes interactive maps in areas of health, emergency management, and education.

Learn More About GIS

Getting Started with GIS
Free introductory GIS course from ESRI. Requires creation of account.
GIS Training
Full catalog of GIS courses from ESRI. Some are free. Courses require creation of account.
GIS Lounge
All things GIS: learning GIS, careers, conferences, news, and tips. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter.

Getting Started with Geographic Information Systems
Meramec Library
Using Google Earth in Libraries
Meramec Library