UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Beginning Feb 11, the Research Informatics and Publishing department and the Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information at Penn State University Libraries will offer four workshops on maps and geospatial information.
This workshop series introduces Penn State users to applying geospatial information in their research and teaching projects. The sessions feature geospatial data sources through the BTAA Geoportal and community geospatial data sources. Participants will gain exposure to geospatial software applications that can enhance geospatial projects and learn about features to enhance interactive mapping projects.
Workshops are free and open to Penn State undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, staff and faculty. No previous knowledge of maps or GIS is required.
Participants may attend either online or in person, as indicated.
If you need more information, contact repub@psu.edu.
Workshop Schedule
Exploring the BTAA Geoportal: Historical Maps and Open Geospatial Data
Feb. 11, 2 to 3 p.m. (online or in W13 Pattee Library)
The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Geoportal provides users with a discovery and search option for identifying map and geospatial content in a range of formats. This session will highlight search strategies for locating geospatial data resources, describe resource types available, and spotlight collections within the BTAA Geoportal, such as historical maps, open government data portals, aerial imagery, important farmland maps and more. Users across disciplines will learn about the discovery of geospatial information to support research and teaching activities.
- Presented by Tara Anthony, GIS specialist, University Libraries
Amplify Your Work with Geospatial Civic Data
Feb. 18, 2–3 p.m. (online or in W13 Pattee Library)
This session will provide strategies and resources to include geospatial civic data in research, teaching and community projects. This session will highlight data, geospatial and civic literacies related to open government and community datasets. This session will aim to enhance responsible, ethical and accessible use of geospatial civic data sources. Open educational geospatial resources aimed at community geospatial data will also be highlighted.
- Presented by Tara Anthony, GIS specialist, University Libraries
Enhancing Geospatial Projects
Feb 19, 2–3 p.m. (online or in W13 Pattee Library)
This session will provide a brief introduction to GIS resources available to amplify your research, teaching and work, including ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Online Applications, ArcGIS Pro and other resources for open source software applications. Additional reference will include aspects of ArcGIS Notebooks and ModelBuilder. This session gives users exposure to applications and options to explore to enhance geospatial projects.
- Presented by Tara Anthony, GIS specialist, University Libraries
Build Amazing Dynamic Maps in ArcGIS Online: Moving Beyond Map Layouts and StoryMaps
Feb 26, 2–4 p.m. (online only)
In this hands-on workshop, we will work to improve your mapping game to ensure you are highlighting your work in the best possible way. Building a great interactive map involves a lot more than just printing out a JPG or PDF from ArcGIS Pro. Some critical questions include: How will your labels and symbology change at different scales? What details are in your pop-ups? Should you include interactive charts or graphs? Working in ArcGIS Online, users will better understand basic concepts of how to improve their interactive maps, learn how to configure mapping applications using ArcGIS Instant Apps, and work on dynamic ArcGIS Dashboards.
- Presented by Brian Baldwin, lead solution engineer, Esri