GIS Data in the UW Libraries and Beyond

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GIS Data in the UW Libraries and Beyond

• Autumn 2003
• gis_at_lib.washington.edu

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Overview

• Libraries Services
• Data collections
• How to find data
• Washington State sources
• Regional sources
• State statistical sources (briefly)
• Census sources
• Federal sources
• And how to find it if you dont see it
• Metadata

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Libraries Services

• GIS Service Policy
• "The Libraries provides UW students, faculty and
  staff with access to geographic information
  systems (GIS) software and data owned by the
  LibrariesWhen requesting data, please leave a
  48-hour turnaround (work days only) to receive
  data... (cont)

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Libraries Services

• (cont) Library staff are available to meet
  one-on-one with UW students, staff and faculty,
  and to assist in retrieving data. Please contact
  GIS staff via email at gis_at_lib.washington.edu

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Objectives

• Provide access to GIS and desktop mapping
  software
• Identify, acquire and provide access to digital
  geospatial and statistical data
• Help patrons determine their data needs and
  assist with locating data
• Help patrons incorporate data into projects

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Library staff work with

• Students, staff, faculty
• From any campus department
• Geography, Urban Planning, Geology, Forest
  Resources, Public Health, English, History, and
  others
• Public

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Software Equipment

• ESRI ArcGIS 8.X (ArcView, Arc/Info, older
  versions), others
• Encarta, MapPoint, Streets Trips, etc.
• Access to color printers, plotters
• Machines can be used for 30-60 minute data
  consults and time for basic manipulation before
  taking data away (longer-term use needs to happen
  in campus labs)

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Collections

• Collection focuses on Seattle, Puget Sound,
  Washington State
• Also collections for the United States,
  international data, individual countries
• Data is listed in catalog
• Ask if you cant find it. It might be on order,
  or be able to be ordered.

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GIS Data

• Types of GIS data
• Census data, demographics, government information
  (local, state and federal)
• Data of a more physical nature geology,
  topology, hydrology, etc.
• Can include streets, parcel data, rivers, lakes
  and drainage, soils, geology, air quality
  information, median household income, etc.

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Data formats

• Vector (points, lines, polygons) e.g., bus stops,
  streets, parcels
• Raster (cells) e.g., digital elevation models
• Image, e.g., digital aerial photography, digital
  raster graphics
• Statistical, e.g., .dbf files, Excel, Access,
  .csv, .txt, e.g., assessors files

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Digital Raster Graphic (DRG)
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City of Seattle
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Digital Orthophoto
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Data producers

• Local governments
• Examples City of Seattle, King, Thurston,
  Snohomish counties
• Federal government
• USGS, USFS, US Census
• WA State
• DNR, DOT, Ecology
• Various regional and other organizations, e.g.,
  Puget Sound Regional Council

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Data Restrictions

• Some is restricted by license agreement to UW
  students, staff and faculty only
• Full use for academic research purposes
• Permissions needed for publishing (includes the
  Web)

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Restrictions

• Much is public domain (anything from US
  government, for example)
• Can be used for any purpose
• No matter the purpose, make sure your citations
  are correct
• Cartographic Citations A Style Guide, by Suzanne
  M. Clark, Mary Lynette Larsgaard, Cynthia M.
  Teague. On the Maps Reference Shelf at GA 108.7
  .C55 1992

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Finding GIS data

• Introduction to
• Finding data in UW catalog
• Other UW data sites
• Washington State sources
• State statistical sources (briefly)
• Regional Sources
• Census sources
• Federal Sources
• And how to find it if you dont see it listed

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Acquiring data

• Download
• Purchase
• Data sharing
• Regardless, be aware of
• Licensing and restrictions
• Public domain vs. private

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Washington State sources

• UW Libraries Catalog, catalog.lib.washington.edu
• Keywords
• Name of the area youre interested in, plus
  computer file and maps
• e.g. seattle and computer file and maps
• Much public domain data is available through UW,
  via interlibrary loan or direct download

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Washington State resources

• http//wagda.lib.washington.edu
• Washington State Geospatial Data Archive. Data
  available for downloading, includes Washington
  DEMs, Washington geology, Seattle, King County,
  etc.
• Primarily Arc/Info, ArcView formats

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Washington State resources

• Washington State Geospatial Clearinghouse,
  wa-node.gis.washington.edu
• Like a library catalog
• Links to WA-created metadata, some downloadable
  data
• Connects to international (searchable) network of
  metadata nodes
• Other state clearinghouses
• Eg, Alaska (http//agdc.usgs.gov/) and Georgia
  (http//www.gis.state.ga.us/)

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Washington State resources

• Subject-tree guide to subjects in library
• www.lib.washington.edu/subject/
• Map Collection homepage www.lib.washington.edu/sub
  ject/maps/
• Data contacts page for Washington State
  wagda.lib.washington.edu/datacontacts/

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Washington State sources

• GIS Data Depot, www.gisdatadepot.com
• Terraserver, terraserver.microsoft.com (photos
  can now be used in GIS, instructions
  wagda.lib.washington.edu/data/doqs.html)

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Washington State sources

• Department of Transportation, www.wsdot.wa.gov/map
  sdata/geodatacatalog/default.htm
• Office of Financial Management,
  www.ofm.wa.gov/geographic/index.htm
• Ecology, www.ecy.wa.gov/services/gis/index.html
• Health, http//198.187.3.168/gis/default.htm
• WA GAP, www.wa.gov/wdfw/wlm/gap/dataprod.htm

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Washington State sources

• To purchase
• WA Department of Natural Resources
• USGS earthexplorer.usgs.gov
• Contact various counties directly (some sell
  data, some give it away free, some seek data
  swaps)

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State statistical data

• Good first source for many topics access.wa.gov
• www.lib.washington.edu/subject/GovLaw/
• Various US government sites, for example
  www.epa.gov
• Government Publications (Libraries)
• CSSCR, Center for Social Science Computation and
  Research, http//julius.csscr.washington.edu/

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Regional Data Sources

• Examples of water/fish-related information
• Interior Columbia Ecosystem Management Project,
  www.icbemp.gov/spatial/
• Streamnet, www.streamnet.org
• Fish Passage Center, www.fpc.org/links.html

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Census GIS data on the web

• Population data
• www.census.gov/population/www/index.html
• Housing data
• www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing.html
• Census geography data in general
• www.census.gov/geo/www/index.html
• www.esri.com/censuswatch
• TIGER/Line data in particular
• http//www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/

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Federal Sources

• Different agencies with different foci
• FCC, http//www.fcc.gov/oet/info/maps/
• BIA, http//www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs.html
  
• USFW, http//wetlands.fws.gov/downloads.htm
• Branches within agencies. (USGS, EPA)
• USGS global land characterization,
  http//edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/programs/lccp/globalland
  cover.html
• http//vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Hazards/DataSets/Washing
  ton/framework.html
• US EPA data management and analysis

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Federal Sources

• Specific, individual reports, such as USGS Open
  File Reports, http//geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/ 
• National Soil Survey Center (USDA),
  http//www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/soilsurvey/
• NEPAnet, National Environmental Policy Act
• http//ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/nepanet.htm
• National Map Seamless Data Distribution System
• http//seamless.usgs.gov/

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Finding GIS data on the web

• Directories and search engines
• http//gis.about.com/ (directory)
• www.google.com (search engine)
• (also, www.altavista.com, www.hotbot.com, and
  many others)

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Search engines

• Keywords name of the area youre interested in,
  plus terms like
• GIS, Shapefile, Coverage, .e00, Download, Data
• Example washington state and gis
• Example
• Salmon and gis and washington state
• Salmon and gis and pacific northwest
• Salmon and gis

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Local GIS groups

• Central Puget Sound GIS User Group,
  cps-gis_at_u.washington.edu. List as well as monthly
  meetings.
• The Northwest GIS User Group (formerly ESRI-NW)
  www.nwesriusers.org, yearly conference

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International GIS groups

• ESRI-L, ArcView-L
• Invaluable for technical assistance and data
  questions (some support requires paid access).
  See support.esri.com/
• Many other lists available, some
  software-specific, others discipline-specific.
  See lists.directionsmag.com/discussion/ for lists
  and searchable archives.

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Other sources

• Commercial vendors (ESRI, of course)
• Ask local GIS users and other colleagues
• Research groups, nonprofits, other
  colleges/universities
• Libraries, academic and otherwise

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Listservs

• Arcview-l
• ESRI-l
• MapInfo-l
• GIS in public health
• Many, many more. See the list of lists at
  www.directionsmag.com/discussion, with searchable
  archives and subscription information for each

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Organizations

• Organizations
• www.urisa.org / www.waurisa.org
• www.esri.com (search Your Speciality, conference
  proceedings)
• ESRI-NW, Pacific Salmon Information Network, etc.
• Other vendors, www.mapinfo.com
• Other associations conference proceedings

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After downloading

• Unzipping (www.winzip.com)
• Importing, changing format
• http//www.gisdatadepot.com/helpdesk/formats.html
• Check your softwares translation capabilities
• Attaching attribute information
• Remember to use your softwares help files!
• Some more help wagda.lib.washington.edu/help/faq.
  html

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Metadata

• Metadata is data about the data
• Shows lineage, data quality, methods,
  modifications, etc.
• Helps determine fitness for use
• Its imperative to get this for every data set
  you download!
• Clearinghouse USGS DEM Example

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Needs Assessment

• Lists a few points to consider before you start
  looking for data
• Needs Assessment is online
• Can bring form into Libraries helps us
  understand your needs as we get started looking
  for data. Can save you time.
• Ask for help gis_at_lib.washington.edu

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Other GIS help on campus

• Main UW GIS site at http//gis.washington.edu
• Software and analysis questions to
  help_at_gis.washington.edu
• Data questions to gis_at_lib.washington.edu