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arl-announce: ARL Announces: Canadian GIS Project

arl-announce: ARL Announces: Canadian GIS Project

ARL Announces: Canadian GIS Project

Patricia Brennan (patricia@cni.org)
Wed, 3 May 1995 16:41:05 -0400 (EDT) 

From: Patricia Brennan <patricia@cni.org>
Message-Id: <9505032041.AA16708@a.cni.org>
Subject: ARL Announces:  Canadian GIS Project
To: arl-announce@cni.org
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 16:41:05 -0400 (EDT)


May 3, 1995


ARL Announces...
LAUNCHING OF GIS LITERACY PROJECT IN CANADA


     The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has initiated its
third and final phase of the GIS Literacy Project with the inclusion of
28 Canadian libraries.  The ARL GIS Literacy Project seeks to introduce,
educate, and equip librarians with the skills needed to provide access
to spatially referenced data in multiple formats. 

     The Project was developed to address the growing need for
librarians to provide effective access to spatially referenced data. 
The increasing reliance upon Geographic Information System (GIS) by
different communities including government agencies and members of the
academic and research communities, both in the U.S. and Canada,
signaled the need for research librarians to become effective users and
instructors of GIS.  The initiation of Phase III of the Project is due
in part to the work of John Black, recently retired Director of
Libraries at the University of Guelph and Past President of ARL. 

     "Canadian university libraries are excited with the prospect of
having been included in the ARL GIS Literacy Project," says Ernie
Ingles, Director of Libraries at the University of Alberta and
coordinator of the Project in Canada.  "We in Canada applaud ARL for
extending the invitation," says Mr. Ingles, "and thank Environmental
Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) for their foresight and their
willingness to expand the scope of their GIS project into Canada."

     Jack Dangermond, President of ESRI, said, "We are very proud to
support ARL in introducing GIS technology to Canadian libraries.  We
think this implementation will be a valuable first step in implementing
open and free access to digital GIS data sets in Canada."

     The Project has received significant data, software, and support
from ESRI.  Other GIS vendors including Wessex, GDT, National Decision
Systems, Inc., and ERDAS have also donated data and software.  DEC has
donated equipment for use in training sessions, and the Association of
American Geographers and the H.W. Wilson Foundation have provided
financial support to the Project.  Also, the University of Connecticut
and the University of Kansas provided Visiting Program Officer support. 
The University of Maryland sponsored a training session in February
1995, and two additional sessions will be held at the University of
Alberta and McGill University later in the year. 

     These participating Canadian libraries, like the U.S. 
participants in Phases I and II, have committed to undertake a
significant local effort to explore GIS applications with library users
and to serve as resources centers and centers of excellence for GIS
information for other libraries that may choose to offer GIS services. 

     GIS is software with the capability of manipulating and
analyzing spatially referenced data to create maps, images, or charts
that reflect the relationship of data elements to geographic reference
points. 

     The ARL GIS Literacy Project provides a framework and a forum
for research libraries to introduce, experiment, and engage in GIS
activities.  ARL, in cooperation with GIS vendors and users, solicits
donations of GIS software and data, organizes and sponsors regular
training sessions for project participants, sponsors an e-mail
discussion list for participants, and works with government agencies on
GIS programs and related issues.  Originally envisioned as a one-year
project for 25 research libraries, the initiative was expanded to meet
the growing interest of libraries in providing access to GIS information
and services. 


     Libraries participating in Phase III of the Project include:
University of Alberta - University of British Columbia - Brock
University - University of Calgary - Carleton University - Dalhousie
University - University of Guelph - Laval University Library -
University of Manitoba - McGill University - McMaster University -
Memorial University of Newfoundland - University of New Brunswick -
National Library of Canada - University of Ottawa - Queen's University -
Universite de Quebec a Montreal - University of Regina - University of
Saskatchewan - Universite de Sherbrooke - Simon Fraser University -
University of Toronto - Trent University - University of Victoria -
University of Waterloo - University of Western Ontario - University of
Windsor - York University. 


For more information about the ARL GIS Literacy Project contact Prue Adler
(prue@cni.org).

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