Map RoomAssistance Available:
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Reference: (303) 384-2367
Office: (303) 273-3697
Fax: (303) 273-3199
Email:
1895 Colorado Map
What is a Geographic Information System?
A GIS is a system designed to store, retrieve, manipulate, and display digitized geographic data--to create maps. Although GIS is powerful, it cannot create maps automatically, just as a word processing program cannot write a paper by itself. GIS software is complicated enough that it takes some time to become sufficiently familiar with the program to be able to create a good map. However, ArcView is a very user-friendly program; the basic commands can be learned quickly by anyone. For a more in-depth explanation, go to the US Geological Survey's page on GIS.
GIS Programs available campus wide
ArcView and ArcInfo are available in labs across campus. Contact the Computing Center and the various departments for location and availability.
A GIS program takes geographically-referenced information (for example, the geology of a state) and displays it as a map. A GIS could be used to create maps showing population growth, the location of EPA sights in relation to schools, or where oil fields are in relation to wetlands.
What GIS data is available in the Library?
The Library has data that includes detailed information about the USA, outline maps of the world (the Digital Chart of the World), digitized versions of Colorado topographic maps (DRGs), and much more. The CDs containing this data are housed in the CD-ROM cabinet in the Government Publications Reference Room. See the Map Librarian for more information.
Tutorials available in the Library
ArcVoyager is a very good (but time consuming) tutorial for ArcView, which includes a general introduction to GIS. The Library owns several tutorials and workbooks. These books come with CD-ROMs and may be checked out of the Library. Many are located at the Circulation Desk on Permanent Reserve.
There are a huge number of sites on the Internet that offer free access to GIS data. The following are some general sites:
- GIS data of the United States by GIS Data Depository.com--downloadable data sets for the US including DEMs, DRGs, Land cover, etc.
- WebGIS--dowloadable GIS data
- Odden's Bookmarks of Maps and Mapping--over 22,000 links to map sites.
- GIS WWW Resources List
- Downloading and Using USGS Maps and Aerial Photography from Terraserver for Recreational, Scientific, Educational, and GIS Use
- Bruce Gittings' Digitial Elevation Data Catalogue
Colorado Data:
For data and maps about a specific area, click here.
- Downloadable maps and data from the Colorado Geological Survey
- GeoCommunity--Colorado data
- Colorado Cartography and Mapping Colorado GIS data (including boundaries, school districts, Census data) is available for downloading . You can also download PDF or JPEG versions of Colorado maps.
- Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)
- Boulder County, Colorado GIS
- Metro Denver Temporal GIS Project
- Rocky Mountain Chapter of Urban & Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)
- GIS in the Rockies
Other States' Data:
- GIS resources by state compiled by Dartmouth College
- Interactive Numeric & Spatial Information Database Engine (INSIDE) Idaho
- University of Minnesota Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Laboratory
- New York State data at Cornell University Geospatial Information Repository (CUGIR)
- Virginia Geographic Information Center
- Spatial Data and Visualization Center at the University of Wyoming
USA Data:
- ArcData online
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Geospatial Information Center
- Guide to Online and Mostly Free U.S. Geospatial and Attribute Data
- National Geophysical Data Center
- National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
- National Hydrographic Dataset--a comprehensive set of digital spatial data of the USA that contains information about surface water features.
- National Integrated Land System (NILS)--A joint project between the BLM and the USDA Forest Service in partnership with the states, counties, and private industry to provide business solutions for the management of cadastral records and land parcel information in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment.
International Data:
- AltaLis--Digital mapping for Alberta
- Arendal's Baltic GIS Database
- The Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network
- Geography Network--data sets of the world, and USA
- GeoGratis--Geospatial data of Canada
- Georeferenced population data sets of Mexico
- GIS for mining in Estonia
- Global Land Cover Characterization
- Global Land One-Kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE). A 1-km gridded, quality-controlled global Digital Elevation Model(DEM).
General GIS links:
- Archiving Aerial Photography and Remote-Sensing Data: A Guide to Good Practice
- Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms in Geographic Information Systems, Cartography, and Remote Sensing
- Ecocart--International Environmental Databases
- ESRI (maker of ArcInfo and ArcView)
- GEOplace -- A spatial information magazine (CSM subscribes)
- GIScafe.com--an on-line newletter/magazine.
- GIS Internet Resources--pointers to GIS companies, associations, and government web pages as well as sources of software, data, publications, and services.
- GIS Video Library by AM Productions Inc.
- GTK Active Map Explorer-- A Finnish interactive geological information database server.
- Learn GIS mapping basics by Michael R. Meuser
- Petroleum Industry and GIS by ESRI
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