From Student Project to Research Agenda: How Libraries Facilitate GIS Education and Collaboration

Abstract

Geographic information systems (GIS) have been a tool and methodology deeply
intertwined with academic libraries since the initial efforts of ARL and ESRI to support
the development of map librarians into geospatial data experts in the early 1990s.1
Although GIS in libraries has been a source of successful collaborations, the demands
are often overwhelming for library staff.2 Over time, the scale, formats, and methods of
data sharing have evolved significantly,3 requiring skills beyond many traditional library
competencies.