The Map
Collection at Yale University's Sterling Memorial Library
is proud to announce the continuation of the Yale GIS Workshops.
These workshops are intended as an introduction to ESRI's ArcGIS
Geographic Information Systems Software Suite, for which Yale
University maintains an Enterprise-level license. The workshops are open
to all Yale University Community members and we are particularly interested
in exposing undergraduate students to spatial analysis using GIS.
All workshops are held on Wednesday afternoon and start at 1pm.
The sessions and are generally designed to last 1.5 - 2 hours, with time
for addressing specific needs after the tutorial sessions. The exception
is the Introductory Session, which is designed to last 2.5-3 hours.
All workshops will be held in the Bass Library Electronic Classroom,
which is located in the Lower Level of Bass Library, Room L06a.
The Spring 2008 GIS Workshop Schedule is shown below.
An introduction to the basic concepts of creating,
managing and analyzing explicitly spatial data within a Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) framework. Included is a step-by-step,
"hands on" introduction to using spatial data within ESRI’s
ArcGIS software. Topics will include: Spatial Data Models, Spatial
Relationships, The ArcMap User Interface, Thematic Mapping Using
Symbology, and Simple Analysis Using Complex Selection Methods.
Geographic data can come from a variety of sources,
including your own database files and spreadsheets, federal, state
and local governmental agencies and commercial vendors. This workshop
will focus upon dependable sources of commonly used GIS data, common
data file formats, projections & coordinate systems, scale,
aggregation, metadata, and issues of sources and citation. Special
Attention will be given to downloading and preparing Census data
for use in GIS software.
This workshop provides the skills necessary
for turning non-spatial data, such as street addresses and scanned
maps, into explicitly spatial data for use in GIS analysis. Topics
include: The TIGER Data Model, Collecting Useable Address Data,
The Geocoding Process, Troubleshooting Problem Addresses, Using
Offsets, Scanning and Georeferencing of Paper Maps, and Display
of XY Data.
A workshop designed to introduce the participant
to the use of consumer-grade GPS equipment for the collection of
explicitly spatial data for analysis within a Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) framework. Topics include: The Global
Positioning Satellite System, Coordinate Systems, Minimizing Measurement
Error, and Converting Tabular Data to ESRI Shapefiles.
The Raster Data Model provided an effective
means of characterizing spatially continuous phenomena, such as
elevation, temperature, precipitation and other environmental and
climatic characteristics. This workshop provides a targeted introduction
to the tools available in ArcGIS for creating, managing and analyzing
data in raster form. Topics include: Introduction to Spatial Analyst,
Map Algebra and the Raster Calculator, Surface Analysis, and Combining
Vector & Raster Data in Analysis.
The objective of this workshop is to provide
participants with hands on experience with editing in ArcGIS (or
doing "heads-up" digitizing), to provide an appreciation
of the issues involved in editing to maintain topological consistency
and to demonstrate the steps which may be involved in creating a
new, spatially accurate coverage.
This workshop will introduce the ArcGIS tools
available for creating effective map layouts that are capable of
clearly conveying the results of GIS analysis to an audience. Topics
include: Symbolization, Advanced Labeling, Annotation, Using Graphics
in Layouts, Cartographic Elements, and Grids & Graticules.
One of the drawbacks of the computer revolution
in mapping is the decline in attention to cartography as a graphic
art. Working in the Yale Map Collection exposes one to the most
beautiful cartography ever produced. This workshop is intended
to provide the participant with an appreciation of the graphic and
cartographic techniques used in classic cartography and the tools
to reproduce some of these elements in their own cartographic work.
Topics will include: Coastal & Lacustrine Vignettes, Depiction
of Topography, Use of Color in Thematic Mapping, Decorative Typography
and Creating Custom Cartographic Elements.