New GIS and Map Tutorials Available on the University Libraries’ Geospatial Resources and Map Collection Web site

Interested in learning about the basic parts of maps? Need to brush up on some geographic skills? Or are you interested to learn about the newest GIS software tools available for use in the classroom and for research? New resources are now available online through the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection (GRMC) Web site,
www.bsu.edu/library/collections/gcmc.

Students and faculty interested in learning more about GIS software can now access BusinessMAP Basics, a tutorial on the GRMC Web page. BusinessMAP 4.5 software is geared toward business and marketing tasks and was recently installed in the GIS lab in the GRMC to supplement existing GIS software.

The BusinessMAP Basics tutorial guides users through the basic functions of this new software and is supplemented by specific subject-oriented video tutorials created by ESRI that illustrate the tools being used in a project environment. Marketing and business faculty and students could use this tutorial to enhance classroom projects.

Users seeking information about geography can also access new online map tutorials. These tutorials are of particular value for students for review, teachers for classroom instruction, and others who want to sharpen their map skills:

· The Elements of a Map is a tutorial that teaches about the main geographic features found on every map, such as the legend, scale, and directional indicators. The tutorial features colorful examples of elements of maps from the Map Collection.
· Topographic Maps is a tutorial that teaches users how to read topographic maps and how the maps are used in industry and development projects.
· Map Projections teaches users about how maps are created using different map projections and provides examples of each type using maps from the Map Collection.

Social studies teachers can also enhance their classroom lessons by using the online tutorial Using Maps and Atlases in Social Studies Lessons. This tutorial provides examples of maps and atlases used in specific lessons for students in elementary through high school classrooms. Some of the lessons are collaborative and will also be relevant to science and English teachers.

The GRMC is currently producing three tutorials that will be available online in the coming months. These are GIS tutorials on Creating Maps for Projects and Downloading Census Data for GIS Analysis and a new online tutorial in the maps and cartography series, Using Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. The Sanborn Maps tutorial can be used in collaboration with the Muncie Digital Sanborn Map Collection that will soon be available in the University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository, http://libx.bsu.edu/.

These online resources are available under the GIS and Maps and Atlases sections of the main GRMC Web page, www.bsu.edu/library/collections/gcmc. After completing the tutorials, users are asked to provide feedback, including suggestions for topics of future tutorials. GRMC staff can also create customized tutorials for faculty and students upon request.

For more information on these and other resources, contact Angela S. Gibson, GIS Specialist, ASGibson2@bsu.edu, and Melissa Gentry, Map Collection Assistant, MGentry@bsu.edu, 765-285-1097.