Geographic Information Systems: Mapping and Geospatial Imagery Guide
GIS resources, tools, and assistance.
About this Guide and Maps
This guide provides links to resources for Maps and Geospatial Imagery. Maps are used in many disciplines for various reasons, so this guide is very interdisciplinary.
A map is a symbolic representation of selected characteristics of a place, usually drawn on a flat surface. Maps present information about the world in a simple, visual way.
Maps, in general, all have a few similar features such as a projection, scale, symbols, and grids or latitude and longitude lines. Some have other items sometimes referred to as DOGSTAILS (date, orientation, grid, scale, title, author, index, legend, and sources). You can find more background and other general information on maps and their features can be found in the following links:
- National Geographic's Introduction to Maps
National Geographic's Introduction to Maps and their components. - Type of Maps
Types of maps (from Penn St University) - Map Projections
Commonly used map projections from the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping
Library Picks
Selection of library materials about maps and geospatial imagery.
The Map That Changed the World by
From the author of the bestselling The Professor and the Madman comes the fascinating story of William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, who became obsessed with creating the world's first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology. In 1793 William Smith, a canal digger, made a startling discovery that was to turn the fledgling science of the history of the earth -- and a central plank of established Christian religion -- on its head. He noticed that the rocks he was excavating were arranged in layers; more important, he could see quite clearly that the fossils found in one layer were very different from those found in another. And out of that realization came an epiphany: that by following the fossils, one could trace layers of rocks as they dipped and rose and fell -- clear across England and, indeed, clear across the world. Determined to publish his profoundly important discovery by creating a map that would display the hidden underside of England, he spent twenty years traveling the length and breadth of the kingdom by stagecoach and on foot, studying rock outcrops and fossils, piecing together the image of this unseen universe. In 1815 he published his epochal and remarkably beautiful hand-painted map, more than eight feet tall and six feet wide. But four years after its triumphant publication, and with his young wife going steadily mad to the point of nymphomania, Smith ended up in debtors' prison, a victim of plagiarism, swindled out of his recognition and his profits. He left London for the north of England and remained homeless for ten long years as he searched for work. It wasn't until 1831, when his employer, a sympathetic nobleman, brought him into contact with the Geological Society of London -- which had earlier denied him a fellowship -- that at last this quiet genius was showered with the honors long overdue him. He was summoned south to receive the society's highest award, and King William IV offered him a lifetime pension. The Map That Changed the World is, at its foundation, a very human tale of endurance and achievement, of one man's dedication in the face of ruin and homelessness. The world's coal and oil industry, its gold mining, its highway systems, and its railroad routes were all derived entirely from the creation of Smith's first map.; and with a keen eye and thoughtful detail, Simon Winchester unfolds the poignant sacrifice behind this world-changing discovery.
Call Number: QE22.S6 W55 2001ISBN: 0060193611Publication Date: 2001-08-07
The Ghost Map by
A National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year from the author of Extra Life "By turns a medical thriller, detective story, and paean to city life, Johnson's account of the outbreak and its modern implications is a true page-turner." --The Washington Post "Thought-provoking." --Entertainment Weekly It's the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure-garbage removal, clean water, sewers-necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local curate are spurred to action-and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time. In a triumph of multidisciplinary thinking, Johnson illuminates the intertwined histories of the spread of disease, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, offering both a riveting history and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in.
Call Number: RC133.G6 J64 2006ISBN: 9781594482694Publication Date: 2007-10-02
Prisoners of Geography by
In the bestselling tradition of Why Nations Fail and The Revenge of Geography, an award-winning journalist uses ten maps of crucial regions to explain the geo-political strategies of the world powers. All leaders of nations are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas, and concrete. To understand world events, news organizations and other authorities often focus on people, ideas, and political movements, but without geography, we never have the full picture. Now, in the relevant and timely Prisoners of Geography, seasoned journalist Tim Marshall examines Russia, China, the USA, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan and Korea, and Greenland and the Arctic--their weather, seas, mountains, rivers, deserts, and borders--to provide a context often missing from our political reportage: how the physical characteristics of these countries affect their strengths and vulnerabilities and the decisions made by their leaders. In ten, up-to-date maps of each region, Marshall explains in clear and engaging prose the complex geo-political strategies of these key parts of the globe. What does it mean that Russia must have a navy, but also has frozen ports six months a year? How does this affect Putin's treatment of the Ukraine? How is China's future constrained by its geography? Why will Europe never be united? Why will America never be invaded? Shining a light on the unavoidable physical realities that shape all of our aspirations and endeavors, Prisoners of Geography is the critical guide to one of the major (and most often overlooked) determining factors in world history.
Call Number: JC319 .M31 2015ISBN: 9781501121463Publication Date: 2015-10-27
How to Lie with Maps, Third Edition by
An instant classic when first published in 1991, How to Lie with Maps revealed how the choices mapmakers make--consciously or unconsciously--mean that every map inevitably presents only one of many possible stories about the places it depicts. The principles Mark Monmonier outlined back then remain true today, despite significant technological changes in the making and use of maps. The introduction and spread of digital maps and mapping software, however, have added new wrinkles to the ever-evolving landscape of modern mapmaking. ​Fully updated for the digital age, this new edition of How to Lie with Maps examines the myriad ways that technology offers new opportunities for cartographic mischief, deception, and propaganda. While retaining the same brevity, range, and humor as its predecessors, this third edition includes significant updates throughout as well as new chapters on image maps, prohibitive cartography, and online maps. It also includes an expanded section of color images and an updated list of sources for further reading.
Call Number: G108.7 .M66 2018ISBN: 9780226435923Publication Date: 2018-04-10
Historical Atlas of the North American Railroad by ISBN: 9780520266162Publication Date: 2010-10-06
Fun with Maps and Geographic History
- Carl Sagan on Eratosthenes and cartography
Carl Sagan explains how the ancient Greeks knew the Earth was round and calculated its circumference over 2,000 years ago. - Tom Scott - The Confusing Borders of Lake Constance
If you're sitting on a boat in Lake Constance, are you in three countries at once or one? Does it even matter? Because strangely, it turns out there are parts of the world where no one really minds when international borders are not just ignored but undefined. - NFL Fan Map
Based on Facebook data as to where NFL teams fans are, The Bengals are the leader in Butler Co., Ohio! - Sanborn Maps from the Library of Congress
The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Online Checklist provides a searchable database of the fire insurance maps published by the Sanborn Map Company housed in the Geography and Map Division collections.
Professional Organizations
- American Associations of Geographers
Provides students, educators, practitioners, and partners with the resources they need to enter the field, develop their careers, and form professional friendships that can last a lifetime. Through annual and ongoing programs, events, and meetings, we aim to create a space in which all geographers—wherever they come from—will know they are valued, heard, and welcomed. - The Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) is the UK's learned society and professional body for geography. We advance geography and support geographers in the UK and across the world. 
Founded in 1934 the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) is a scientific association serving over 7,000 professional members around the world. Our mission is to advance knowledge and improve understanding of mapping sciences to promote the responsible applications of photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and supporting technologies.- National Council for Geographic Education (ncge)
The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) is a non-profit organization chartered in 1915 to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning. - The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)
The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) is a non-profit organization that creates and supports communities of practice for GIScience research, education, and policy endeavors in higher education and with allied institutions. We are the professional hub for the academic GIS community in the United States, with partnerships extending this capacity abroad.
Citing your sources
- Citation stylesThis page will give you different citation style manuals and links to resources to help you with those styles.
Great Sites for Geospatial Data and Imagery
- AGS LibraryThe American Geographical Society Library (AGSL), one of the premier collections of its kind in North America, contains over 1.5 million items supporting instruction, research and outreach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and around the world. Formerly the library and map collection of the American Geographical Society (AGS) of New York, it was donated to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries in 1978 following a nationwide selection process by the AGS of New York.
- Big 10 Academic Alliance GeoPortalThe Big Ten Academic Alliance Geoportal provides discoverability and facilitates access to geospatial resources. The resources in the portal are selected and curated by librarians and geospatial specialists at twelve research institutions in the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
- FEMA Geospatial Resource CenterFEMA GIS supports the emergency management community with world-class geospatial information, services, and technologies to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate against all hazards.
- GeoPlatform.gov/The GeoPlatform delivers trusted, nationally consistent, authoritative geographically enriched social, economic, environmental and other data for understanding and decision making.
- NASA Landsat Image GalleryThe Landsat satellite record stretches from 1972 to the present. This gallery includes all Landsat images published on the Earth Observatory, Visible Earth, and Landsat Science websites from all seven Landsat satellites (Landsats 1-8, Landsat 6 failed to achieve orbit).
- NHGISThe National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) provides easy access to summary tables and time series of population, housing, agriculture, and economic data, along with GIS-compatible boundary files, for years from 1790 through the present and for all levels of U.S. census geography, including states, counties, tracts, and blocks.
- USDA Geospatial DataThe Geospatial Data Gateway (GDG) provides access to a map library of over 100 high resolution vector and raster layers in the Geospatial Data Warehouse. It is the One Stop Source for environmental and natural resources data, at any time, from anywhere, to anyone. It allows you to choose your area of interest, browse and select data, customize the format, then review and download.
- USGS National Land Imaging ProgramThe fundamental goal of the NLI Program is to provide the Federal Government and the public with a primary source of remotely sensed data and applications and to be a leader in defining the future of land remote sensing, nationally and internationally.
