Getting Started with GIS

Coming for the New Year: Learning Opportunities with LITA

LITA will have multiple learning opportunities available over the upcoming year. Including hot topics to keep your brain warm over the winter. Starting off with:

Getting Started with GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Instructor: Eva Dodsworth, University of Waterloo

Offered: January 12 – February 9, 2015, with asynchronous weekly lectures, tutorials, assignments, and group discussion. There will be one 80 minute lecture to view each week, along with two tutorials and one assignment that will take 1-3 hours to complete, depending on the student. Moodle login info will be sent to registrants the week prior to the start date.

WebCourse Costs: LITA Member: $135 ALA Member: $195 Non-member: $260

Here’s the Course Page

Getting Started with GIS is a three week course modeled on Eva Dodsworth’s LITA Guide of the same name. The course provides an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in libraries. Through hands on exercises, discussions and recorded lectures, students will acquire skills in using GIS software programs, social mapping tools, map making, digitizing, and researching for geospatial data. This three week course provides introductory GIS skills that will prove beneficial in any library or information resource position.

No previous mapping or GIS experience is necessary. Some of the mapping applications covered include:

Introduction to Cartography and Map Making
Online Maps
Google Earth
KML and GIS files
ArcGIS Online and Story Mapping
Brief introduction to desktop GIS software

Participants will gain the following GIS skills:

Knowledge of popular online mapping resources
ability to create an online map
an introduction to GIS, GIS software and GIS data
an awareness of how other libraries are incorporating GIS technology into their library services and projects

Instructor: Eva Dodsworth is the Geospatial Data Services Librarian at the University of Waterloo Library where she is responsible for the provision of leadership and expertise in developing, delivering, and assessing geospatial data services and programs offered to members of the University of Waterloo community. Eva is also an online part-time GIS instructor at a number of Library School programs in North America.

Re-Drawing the Map Series

Don’t forget the final session in the series is coming up January 6, 2015. You can attend this final single session or register for the series and get the recordings of the previous two sessions on Web Mapping and OpenStreetMaps. Join LITA instructor Cecily Walker for:

Coding maps with Leaflet.js

Tuesday January 6, 2015, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Central Time
Instructor: Cecily Walker

Ready to make your own maps and go beyond a directory of locations? Add photos and text to your maps with Cecily as you learn to use the Leaflet JavaScript library.

Webinar Costs: LITA Member $39 for the single session and $99 for the series.

Check out the series web page for all cost options.

Questions or Comments?

For all other questions or comments related to the course, contact LITA at (312) 280-4268 or Mark Beatty, mbeatty@ala.org.