NEW: Conservation GeoPortal

"To help people working in conservation locate this elusive data, a group of organizations working under the umbrella of the Conservation Commons recently developed the Web-based Conservation GeoPortal ." It's one-stop place to find, evaluate, and sharing data and maps for conservation. (source: ArcWatch, 5/07)

Library New Collection--more CensusCDs from Geolytics, Inc.

The following new acquired CD-Roms have already been popular items to use in Fenwick Library. Please check them out.
**Neighborhood Change Database (NCDB)- Access to US Census Data from 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 in their census year tract boundaries. Also access data for all four decades normalized to 2000 Census Tract boundaries so that one can compare data for various years within the same bounday definition.
**Zip+4 CD (Standard)- gives geocoding of zip+4 to census block with demographic variables.
**Zip+4 with 2006 Estimates and 2011 Projections- additional of 60+ demographic variables and 2011 estimates to Zip+4 CD.

USGS Store Locator and Free Downloading of GeoPDF files

Try the new map locator and downloader provided by USGS.

**You can find and order topo maps in the U.S. and Antarctica. You can also download new GeoPDF files derived from scans of topo maps.
**These GeoPDF files are georegistered digital map derivations fo the original electronic files. (maps-l).

China Historical GIS

China Historical Geographic Information Systems (CHGIS), Version 4 Datasets, is just released providing a fully documented database of historical administrative units in China. The new datasets may be downloaded free of charge for academic use but you have to register. The site is at http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~chgis (Source: Maps-L).

Digitized Atlas from the Perry-Castaneda Library

The Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin (an essential site for map and geographic research) has digitized the full text and images of eight historic atlases and made them available online.

+ Army Map Service Topographic Map Series (1945-)
+ Atlas of Mexico (1975)
+ Atlas of Texas (1976)
+ Cambridge Modern History Atlas (1912)
+ Historical Atlas by William Shepherd (1911)
+ Historical Atlas by William Shepherd (1923-26)
+ National Atlas of The United States of America (1970)
+ Public Schools Historical Atlas by C. Colbeck (1905)

(Source: ResourceShelf)

Census Tract Shape Files

and data from the 1940 census onward are downloadable from the National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) web site. It's a cool site. Also explore Social Explore Site for interactive maps with historical census data.

NEW: NASA's World Wind Digital Globe-3D Cross Section Viewer

is just released. "This plug-in allows you to select a square area of terrain and view the ‘cut-out’ in a separate 3D window - the terrain viewer."
http://www.worldwindcentral.com/wiki/ 3D_Cross_Section_plugin_and_viewer
(Source: ResourceShelf).

New Web Site for Antique Maps of Africa

Nowthwestern University just launced the website featuring digital copies of antique maps of Africa dating from mid 16th Century to the early 20th Century. See 16th-Early 20th Century Maps of Africa.

New Maps Added to David Rumsey Collection

Please take a look at new maps added to David Rumsey Collection at http://www.davidrumsey.com/recentadditions.html. Also historical Rumsey maps are in Google Earth. See more.

World Migration Map: Europe

Looking for origins and destinations of migrants to and from... Check out this site at http://www.migrationinformation.org/wmm/.
(from ResourceShelf)

2006 GIS Day at Mason

• We had another wonderful GIS Day event at Mason yesterday. Thanks to those who participated in the Fenwick Open House Event and the Johnson Center Cinema presentation sessions. Many asked about the library resources links that I presented yesterday. Here are the lists:

• The libraries' geospatial portal : http://129.174.55.51/website/NVandDC/viewer.htm.
  

• The libraries' GIS workshop tutorials: http://129.174.55.51/tutorial

• 2006 GIS Day photos: http://129.174.55.51/website/gisday/photos.html

New 3D Maps from Microsoft

Explore skylineGlobe just released from Microsoft for 3 dimensional image of Earth and cities. It will only work on IE 6 or 7.

GIS Day at Mason-Nov. 15, 2006

Please join us as we celebrate 2006 GIS Day at George Mason. See the program in detail at http://129.174.55.51/WEBSITE/GISDAY/. On Nov. 15, Government Documents/Map unit in Fenwick Library will have open house event from 11:30 to 4:30. Hope you can come and learn more about GIS and diggital mapping!!

State and Metropolitan Area Data Book 2006

is now available online at http://www.census.gov/compendia/smadb/ It contains data published for 2005 population and housing unit estimates and many items from the 1990 and 2000 Census of Population and Housing for individual states, counties, and metropolitan.

Maps of Poland and Belarus

If you are looking for Polish topographic maps, you can get them through this site: www.mapywig.org It has scanned topographic maps of 1:300K, 1:100K, and 1:25K before WW2. (via Maps-L).

ArcGIS 9.2

ArcGIS 9.2, a new version of ArcGIS, will be released sometime this fall. If you want to attend free training seminar sessions, see the schedule at http://www.esri.com/events/introducing-arcgis92/index.html. You can also watch flash demos of ArcGIS 9.2 at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/about/whats-coming.html.

ArcExplorer: GIS Data Viewer by ESRI

can be downloaded for free at this site: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/index.html. This software offers basic GIS functions such as display (raster and vector data), query, and data retrieval from local data sets or from the Internet. Try and find out how good it is.

Broer Maps Online New Server

Please check out this new site at http://www.broermapsonline.org/members It contains 1,300 maps online including historical and modern maps. The collections are indexed and searchable.(via maps-l)

NASA's World Wind ( A 3D Digital Globe)--Update

There are three new add-ons for NASA's open source digital globe World Wind. Please check them out.

New+France Scan and TeleAtlas

This add-on makes it possible to view France Scan and TeleAtlas maps within World Wind.

+ France Geoportail Plugin and BRGM layers

This addon makes it possible to view IGN GéoportailFrance (http://geoportail.fr/) and BRGM layers within World Wind.

+ NASA Earth Observations
This add-on is of several layers found on the NASA NEO website (http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/Search.html).(via ResourceShelf Newsletter)

Online Map Archive: An Irish Genealogist's Spot of Gold

"the Irish government plans to unveil an online map archive with details of every town, street, and farm on the Emerald Isle dating back nearly 200 years -- an unprecedented achievement expected to be a treasure trove for those tracing their Irish ancestry." See the site at http://www.irishhistoricmaps.ie/historic/ (source: maps-l).