BTAA-GIN Collection Stories

By Adonna Fleming & Margaret Mering Featured Item: Nebraska Public Fishing Spots What is the item? This data layer shows public fishing areas in Nebraska. It includes Nebraska Game and Parks Commission-owned or leased state recreation areas, wildlife management areas, as well as waters owned by the federal government, Corp of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Power and Irrigation companies, cities, and private entities. What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Nebraska-Lincoln Interesting tidbits: For a landlocked state, Nebraska has a lot of fishing spots. 559! Nebraska is home to over 100 species of fish, 78 of which are presumed to be native. This map is one of the most popular sites viewed on http://www.nebraskamap.gov/ . Where can I find out more? More information about the top fishing spots and permits is available at Outdoor Nebraska .                        ...

By Kathleen Weessies An interview with Ann Burns, Manager of Geospatial Technology for SEMCOG Name: Ann Burns Title: Manager of Geospatial Technology The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) Website: www.semcog.org What does SEMCOG do? The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) supports local planning through its technical, data, and intergovernmental resources. The work SEMCOG does improves the quality of the region's water, makes the transportation system safer and more efficient, revitalizes communities, and spurs economic development. SEMCOG promotes informed decision-making by improving Southeast Michigan and its local governments through insightful data analysis and direct assistance to members; SEMCOG promote the efficient use of tax dollars for infrastructure investment and governmental effectiveness; SEMCOG develops regional solutions that go beyond the boundaries of individual local governments; and SEMCOG is an advocate on behalf of Southeast Mi...

By Kathleen Weessies Featured Item: Upper Territories of the United States What is the item? Mathew Carey made this map in 1814 at his publishing house in Philadelphia to add to his frequently-updated atlases. The map was made at an interesting time - just after the War of 1812 but before many American settlers had moved west. Michigan, Indiana and Illinois were legally territories at this point. Ohio had become a state 11 years prior. Land we now call Wisconsin and Minnesota were labeled Northwestern Territory. What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Minnesota The Upper Territories of the United States by Mathew Carey The 6-mile square tract of land negotiated with the Pottawatomies in the Treaty of Greenville. Interesting tidbits: Mathew Carey, who drew the map, ardently supported the idea of the United States building up its Navy. He sometimes used his maps to promote his views, such as drawing attention to the country’s vast inland waters. This map was made shortly afte...

By Caroline Kayko [Europe as a woman] What is the item? This item, titled in our catalog [Europe as a woman], is a version of the Europa Regina appearing in one of the volumes of Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia. Münster was a 16th century German cartographer, and Cosmographia was the first German-language depiction of the world. The original Europa Regina was drawn by Johannes Putsch, a poet. This map gained popularity in the late 16th century after being included in one of the later versions of Cosmographia. What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Michigan A close up of the map itself. Interesting tidbits: There are many interpretations of the queen’s pose here. At the time, Charles V controlled the Roman Empire as well as Spain; it’s possible that is why Spain is her head. It is also possible that she is holding the orb (Sicily) and turned to the right in an offering of power to her husband, Charles V. Where can I find out more? Britannica Project Gutenberg Europa Regina...

By Cecilia Smith University of Chicago Library GIS Data Hub What is the item? The University of Chicago’s GIS Data Hub is a portal to a curated set of historical Chicagoland data. There are currently 33 vector layers covering different themes. The data was produced by several sources, including UChicago researchers and Library Map Collection staff. What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Chicago Interesting tidbits: The collection contains the city boundaries for Chicago starting in 1868. Ward boundaries for the years 1986, 1992, and 1998 are popular layers for researchers interested in redistricting and social outcomes. The 77 community areas as of 1990 are available, and continue to be very similar to contemporary areas. A number of layers were derived from a 1948 dissertation by Henry Hughes Presler, titled "The effects of subsidy of Presbyterian Churches in metropolitan Chicago, 1871-1942." In the dissertation, Presler maps religious congregations and their et...

 By Jay Bowen Featured Item: National Flood Hazard Layer: Iowa With flooding a perennial problem in the low-lying riverine areas of Iowa, the National Flood Hazard Layer: Iowa is a particularly useful resource for Iowans. This dataset is managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on the Iowa Geodata website. From this dataset, you can download the National Flood Hazard Layer, which includes the Iowa portion of the regulatory dataset produced by FEMA for their Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). It is particularly useful to community officials and members of the public who wish to know which parts of their communities are within areas FEMA defines as having a 1-percent-annual-chance for a flood event, a 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood event, or minimal flood risk. In this post, I will take a look at one presentation of the data in an interactive online map. I live in Iowa City, in Johnson County. By downloading the data as a geodatabase, I can open it in QGIS, extract the fea...

By Laura McElfresh Lighthouses (Great Lakes Circle Tour), Wisconsin 2013 What is the item? This data layer represents locations of Wisconsin lighthouses on the Great Lakes. What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Wisconsin Interesting tidbits: The month of August includes National Lighthouse Day on the 7th! This dataset is part of the Wisconsin Coastal Atlas, an online collection of geospatial data covering the coastal Wisconsin counties on Lakes Superior and Michigan. Each lighthouse point on the interactive map display is clickable for more information about that lighthouse, including name, location (latitude & longitude), and links to outside websites for further reading. Wind Point Lighthouse, Wisconsin By User:JeremyA, edited by Fir0 002 - Edited version of Image: Wind Point Lighthouse 071104.jpg., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5191958 Map image of the lighthouse dataset (full interactive Web Map Service display is available here) Wh...

By Shirley Yue Li Indiana Covid-19 Cases Tracker This is a live dashboard to track Indiana’s confirmed COVID-19 cases, testing levels, and deaths. The county map shows the locations of cases. The dashboard is created and updated daily by the Polis Center at IUPUI. BTAA geoportal has several COVID-19 related data for Indiana. Emergency Medical Service Stations as Developed for the Homeland Security Infrastructure Program: Indiana Hospitals and Clinics, Derived from HAZUS: Indiana Hospitals and Rural Health Clinics: Indiana Hospitals as Developed for the Homeland Security Infrastructure Program: Indiana Medical Care Facilities, derived from Essential Facilities Data of the Multi-Hazard Mitigation Planning Data: Indiana Residential Care Facilities, Nursing Homes, and Hospices: Indiana County Boundaries: Indiana Indiana Population Density: Indiana Populated Areas: Indiana Indiana Major Urban Areas: Indiana

By Jay Bowen Covid-19 Cases: Iowa As concerns over the global coronavirus pandemic have intensified, Iowans may be wondering if there is a reliable geospatial dataset that they can access to do their own monitoring of the virus in Iowa. Through the BTAA Geoportal, the public can freely access the Covid-19 Cases: Iowa dataset, which is hosted by Iowa Open Spatial Data and updated and maintained by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Through this dataset, you can download a shapefile displaying the total confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 by county. Of particular interest to those who wish to make a more than static map of the outbreak in Iowa are the API options offered. Here, you can simply copy the GeoJSON URL and plug it into the JavaScript supporting your online map, allowing your map to display automatically the updated GeoJSON. What I like about this option is that it gives you constant access to the most recent data published by the Iowa Department of Public Health. If...

By Cecilia Smith Project Task Force Members: Cecilia Smith, GIS & Maps Librarian By far, the maps most frequently requested at the University of Chicago library are the social scientists maps published by UChicago researchers in the 1920s and 1930s. Out of dozens of maps, however, there is a showstopper: East 63rd Street : Cottage Grove Ave. to Stony Island Ave. East 63rd Street : Cottage Grove Ave. to Stony Island Ave. Like the other social scientists maps, the East 63rd Street map was produced sometime in the early 20th century. Our best guess is that it was printed in the 1930s by a sociology researcher. Unlike its cohort, East 63rd is a showstopper for three reasons: It’s huge: The East 63rd Street map is about 112 inches x 15 inches. While relatively narrow, finding space to unfold a map that is nearly twice a person’s height is challenging! The historical changes are striking : The map depicts a bustling thoroughfare with busy storefronts and an elevated rail stop (that’s th...

 By Karen Majewicz If you are looking to perform geospatial analysis on a dataset in the geoportal, using the “Open in ArcGIS” button will come in handy. A large percentage of the geospatial data resources in the geoportal are also available as ArcGIS Rest Services , which are hosted streaming datasets that can be added to an online map application. To find the resources with web services, use the facet “Type” and select “Service” . Items with ArcGIS Rest services will have an option in the Links panel that says “Open in ArcGIS.” Clicking this text will open an instance of ArcGIS Online with the selected dataset loaded. From there, you can symbolize the dataset and add other files to your map. Click "Open in ArcGIS" under the links panel Note to perform geospatial analysis or to save the map, you will need to log in or create an account with ArcGIS Online.

 By Bria Parker Locations of street cameras in Washington, D.C. Privacy is a hot-button issue - with all the devices that listen to us, that monitor us, how do we maintain our privacy as citizens? Should we have to sacrifice privacy for safety? How pervasive is the surveillance where you live? The BTAA Geoportal contains datasets on the locations of CCTV locations and traffic camera for some of the metropolitan areas covered in our geoportal. Interested in how much surveillance monitors the landmarks in our nation's capital ? Wonder where traffic cameras are located in Des Moines, IA? Check out our Geoportal! Download layers (or grab web services APIs) and use a tool like ArcGIS online to combine CCTV layers with a host of other municipal data, like crime and safety, arts and culture districts, community development, health, and, location of farmers markets!

By Cecilia Smith George Washington's own map of the whole group of farms at Mount Vernon, drawn in 1793 What is the item? A land survey map of the Mount Vernon estate drafted by George Washington in 1793. What BTAA Library submitted the item? Penn State Interesting tidbits: At 17 years old, George Washington became a land surveyor in Virginia. He worked throughout Culpeper County surveying land and producing maps. This map depicts the five farms composing the Mount Vernon Estate: Mansion, River, Muddy Hole, Dogue, and Union. Washington includes a summary of the acreage by field for each of the farms and provides notes on surrounding areas in a box labeled “References.” The estate is bounded by the Potomac River on the south. This map is a 1931 reproduction of the original in the Huntington Library.

By Cecilia Smith Railway terminal map of Chicago What is the item? A map of railways and depots in Chicago and surrounding areas from 1897 by Rand McNally and Company. What BTAA Library submitted the item? University of Michigan Interesting tidbits: Railways were an influential component to the incredible population growth in Chicago during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The map uses color to denote North, West, and South Chicago, whose boundaries are largely formed by branches of the Chicago River. The Chicago Park and Boulevard System is also highlighted in green. The system is a series of parks connected by wide streets with central medians containing planted dividers. 26 miles of the system are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

By Karen Majewicz India was subjected to colonization by England between 1612-1947, first under private trading companies, and later the British government. A major turning point occurred in 1857, when Indian soldiers (known as Sepoys) serving the British East India Company revolted. Violent clashes broke out across northern India, and, although historians disagree on casualty numbers, at least hundreds of thousands of people were killed. This series of uprisings, known as the Indian Rebellion of 1957, prompted the British government to dissolve the Company and to assert their own direct control over India. Within the next few years, cartographers provided the government with many new or updated maps illustrating British encampments, transportation routes, and the locations and dates of the major Rebellion conflicts. Many of these 19th century Indian maps can be found via our geoportal and came from the Ames Library of South Asia, housed at the University of Minnesota. This collect...

By Caroline Kayko Visit our Featured Collection: Nichols Arboretum and Matthaei Botanical Gardens The Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA) is a University of Michigan organization that promotes environmental conservation and enjoyment of nature in two locations in Ann Arbor, MI: the Nichols Arboretum, and Matthaei Botanical Gardens. The MBGNA has an open data GIS hub where they host datasets about vegetation, trails, land cover, geology, and more. These can be used by anyone from botanists to nature trail enthusiasts. Aerial Imagery There are scanned aerial images from sporadic years, the oldest being from 1937 and the newest being from 2006. There is also digital orthoimagery of the botanical garden from 2010 from a SEMCOG orthoimagery project. Close-up of aerial imagery showing handwritten notes denoting farms on the botanical gardens grounds, 1949. Interactive Maps Some notable interactive maps on the open data hub include the Matthaei-Nichols Botanical Surveys. ...

By Cecilia Smith What’s in this collection? The EarthStat collection consists of 1,099 raster datasets. The data layers are global in coverage and provide information regarding agricultural crops. What BTAA Library submitted the collection? EarthStat is a collaboration between the Global Landscapes Initiative at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and the Land Use and Global Environment Lab at the University of British Columbia. Stanford University improved access to the data by splitting it up into layers, converting it to web services, and creating metadata for each layer. The web services and layer level downloads are available in the BTAA Geoportal . The original GeoTiffs can be downloaded at the EarthStat website. Interesting tidbits: EarthStat data was created to support researchers developing ways to feed a growing world population while reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. The EarthStat project combines national, state, and county level cen...

By Daniel Dotson and Joshua Sadvari At Ohio State, our map collections include more than 175,000 geologic, topographic, and thematic maps distributed across our Geology Library, Gardner Family Map Room, Architecture Library, Special Collections, and more. While we have not yet contributed scanned maps to the geoportal, our participation in the project has been of great benefit to us in identifying potential collections for digitization and discussing effective map scanning workflows with our peers. We look forward to contributing scanned maps from our collections in the future. Ohio State is looking at a few options for adding scanned map content. Click the links to view the print records from the OSU Library Catalog. We have three main categories: Public domain maps, not digitized elsewhere We have a number of maps in our collections that are public domain. Some of these are in patron-accessible collections, while others are in our Special Collections units. These items would be check...