The demand for geographic information system (GIS) information and service is booming in the Library. As more and more students and faculty are discovering the applicability of GIS to their research and studies, the Library is responding by increasing the number of workstations available with GIS software.
The Library recently added GIS software to 15 workstations on the 5th floor of the Dana Porter Library. The machines have the popular GIS program ArcGIS and are available for anyone to use during building hours. They will enable students to work with GIS data at times when the Geospatial Centre is closed. Additionally, since only the Environment faculty has its own GIS lab, these new workstations provide access to the ArcGIS software for individuals from other faculties who have an interest in GIS.
ArcGIS, developed by the Environmental Sciences Research Institute (Esri), is the most popular mapping program and can be used to display and analyse geospatial data. ArcGIS is used by faculty and students for geospatially displaying project and research work.
From making a simple map to performing complex spatial analysis, ArcGIS is used for such diverse projects and research as using census data to calculate population and economic growth potential; Urban Planning for the development of transportation, health care, and institutional infrastructure; and geo-referencing non-spatial imagery.
Last term, the Geospatial Centre helped students acquire data and analyse them in ArcGIS for project topics like these:
The Library is offering two workshops this term on how to use ArcGIS:
For more information, contact:
Geospatial Data Services Librarian and Geospatial Centre Coordinator
Ext. 36931
University of Waterloo Library
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
519 888 4883
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