Maps and Legends: Plotting a Course for Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

Many academic institutions are experiencing explosive growth in the use of geospatial data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). As GIS gain widespread acceptance as a research tool, the scholarly community looks to the library as the institution with both the skills to provide intellectual access to data and the technological expertise to guide them in their use. Librarians must be proactive in developing support and service mechanisms for geospatial data and GIS. This paper defines and discusses academic library support issues surrounding GIS and geospatial data. It proposes a model for levels of GIS support and decision-making.