GIS (Geographic Information Systems) represent a suite of tools and processes (software, hardware, and their applications) that take in geospatial data and put out visualizations, analyses, or otherwise processed versions of those data. Makes no sense? Imagine taking an old map of Indiana, laying over it a new map of Indiana, and laying over that the most recent satellite or aerial photography of the state. Then for good measure some elevation data originally captured by NASA’s Space Shuttle program goes below it all. That’s how you start working with GIS. What happens next could almost literally run the gamut of academic work as we know it, from soil chemistry studies to historic reenactments to consumer behavior in retail spaces to suitability studies to traffic analysis to, no kidding, hula dancing.

See the projects link for examples of some of the things we do with GIS in The Libraries, contact us, or visit this Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC) page, this USGS page, or GIS.com for addition information.