The Future of GIS Services in Academic Libraries: Exploring the Next Step

Abstract

In 1992, the Association for Research Libraries Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Literacy Project introduced libraries to GIS technology in response to the distribution of electronic geospatial data by the US Census Bureau and the availability of relative inexpensive GIS software. Since that time, there have been many technological and other changes that have affected the range of GIS services libraries provide, such as increased availability of online geospatial data, online interactive mapping, and integration of GIS into non-geography classes. What’s on the horizon? How will changes in libraries, technology, and GIS affect GIS services in libraries? The University of Arizona Library’s Arizona Electronic Atlas project, in consultation with other units on campus, is exploring how we can design a web-based “decision-support” geospatial tool that will help students and faculty analyze various scenarios or models to help make better decisions on various issues such as groundwater management, land use planning, housing development and wildfire prevention.