BTAA-GIN Collection Stories

By Tara Anthony, Penn State University Libraries Geological maps are a valuable resource for understanding characteristics of earth properties through rock and mineral formations. Historical geological maps held within map collections can span geographic areas and be useful for understanding regions across administrative regions, such as state borders. The BTAA Geoportal  can be a source for identifying where to look for historic geological map collections within BTAA institutions. This blog post will highlight what types of geological maps are able to be located from the BTAA Geoportal  as of Spring 2025. Geological maps are a resource type for narrowing down specific map types. See this search for Resource type (Geological maps)  for results. These historic geological maps are primarily from the early half the 1900s, with some earlier geological maps as well that date back to the mid-1800s. Of the results, the following institutions have materials clas...

By Jae Sung Kim This interview is part of our Data Provider Series, which highlights local governments and institutions that offer open GIS data. In each interview, providers tell us about their missions and data resources. We hope this will be a great way for readers to learn more about local GIS developments and new initiatives. Name: Maurie Kelly Title: Director Division/Department: Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) Website: www.pasda.psu.edu About Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) Using PASDA, users can easily find geospatial data with various functions including preview and download. Maurie Kelly noted that: “The data made available through PASDA is provided by our data partners to encourage the widespread sharing of geospatial data, eliminate the creation of redundant data sets, and to further build an inventory (through the development and hosting of metadata) of available data relevant to the Commonwealth. PASDA serves as a resource for locating data throughout th...