GIS Resources

GC335, GC337, GC428

Dr. Robert Legg

Online GIS Resources: State, National, and International

FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) Codes sources:
Missouri Census Data Center The motherlode of FIPS codes. Michigan's are here.
U.S. Census Bureau--FIPS Code Lookup. Another source for FIPS codes.

Michigan Data Sources
Michigan Geographic Data Library .
“Serves as the state's repository of digital geographic information. This site currently contains over 60 unique statewide datasets including the state's basemap (MI Geographic Framework), aerial imagery, geology, hydrography, land ownership, topography, and much more." This is a good one-stop shop for Michigan data. For population data, go to the Census Statistics and Demographic Data page from the State of Michigan. The American Factfinder and the American Community Survey pages at the Census Bureau can be used to create detailed custom tables.

MSU Map Library.
Selected boundary, population, and point files of Michigan.

Web GIS
Much more than the Marquette data that you first see is available here.

Geocommunity Data Depot: Michigan
This website is much more than Michigan--the whole U.S. as well as international data can be found here.

Great Lakes Informational Network
Download GIS data and view maps for the Great Lakes area (and beyond) by topic, geographic region, and organization. In its own right, this website is a good source for general information.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Contains national and regional data.

Historical county boundaries: Michigan. From the Newberry Library in Chicago. All 50 states are available.

Hiawatha National Forest.

Great Lakes Ecological Assessment Data.
This resource is "an interagency effort to collect and consolidate new and existing environmental, biological, and socioeconomic information in the Northern Lake States." Data here.

Mineral Resources, Online Spatial Data for Michigan.
From the USGS. Clicakble map of counties in Michigan. The entire US is also available. The "National and global datasets" as well as the "Additional studies and data" tabs will contain links to the data.

U.S. Data

National Atlas of the United States
Under the "Mapping Professionals" tag you can download shapefiles, from agriculture to water, under the Raw Data section.

Bureau of Transportation Statistics: Transstats
Recently redesigned, the information is not as easy as it once was to locate.

Geo.Data.Gov
Geodata.gov is the federal government's public gateway for providing access to geospatial information. A wide variety of data categories are available containing data from federal, state, local and private sources. Searchable via a text search or an interactive map.

National Map of the United States

U.S. Census Bureau Geography webpage. Older census boundary files may be obtained from National Historical Geographic Information System: NHGIS. For demographic data, visit the American Factfinder webpage.

Soil Data Mart
Download soil data. This is a request service: you must wait for your data to be created.

Landcover Database from MRLC
Online version of landcover data from 1992, 2001, and 2006.

Geospatial Data Gateway
Data from the USDA/NRCS. Includes links to resources already listed on this page: Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Services Agency, Rural Development, National Geospatial Management Center (NGMC), Aerial Photography Field Office (APFO), Web Soil Survey, Soil Data Mart, eFOTG, Geo.Data.Gov, APFO Customer Order Entry System, USGS Maps, Imagery and Publications, National Atlas, National Map Viewer 2.0, US Census Bureau Geography, Download TIGER/Line Shapefiles, Download Public Land Survey System Data.

Links to data from the University of Arkansas
National, state and international sources. Any large university with a GIS program/library will have lists of resources (such as Stanford University for example).

You might also prefer to simply go to USA.gov's agency list and search for the agency you'd like or search for GIS in the search engine along with your topic.

Every state has a GIS data clearinghouse of some sort or another. Here is a list of them from the University of Oregon.

USGS Digital File Download

International (and National)

GeoData@Tufts.

Natural Earth Data
Free vector and raster map data at 1:10m, 1:50m, and 1:110m scales.

ESRI's Arc GIS Online.

Global Land Cover Facility
Remote sensing data. Jump directly to their data and products.

Geogratis
Canada's free GIS portal.

Digital Chart of the World
Available from the Natural Earth Datasite. This map is an old standby dating from 1992. The newer edition is available in the Documents CD collection under the title "Vector Map Level 0". The call number is D 5.358:VMAP 0.

GIS Lounge
A listing of resources by country--will also direct you back to sources already mentioned here on this page.

Additional links containing a variety of data and information:
GIS Landbase Information & Data Links, and GIS Internet Reources from the U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center.

Library Catalog.
You can search in the catalog using one of these keywords: digital, GIS, database, CD, computer (not all at once) as well as a place or theme (keweenaw and CD, for example). The location will be the Government Documents CD cabinets.

Mad Mappers.
African GIS data accessible to all.

European Environment Agency Data and Maps.

Additional Resources

ESRI Support Page and ArcGIS Resource Center.
Among the resources is a knowledge base, product documentation, bibliography, and community forums.

The Illustrated Guide to Nonprofit GIS & Online Mapping. A publication from Maptogether.org. Contains a brief introduction to mapping and GIS technology and concepts, examples of successful nonprofit projects using GIS and/or mapping technologies, helpful strategies for planning your own mapping/GIS project, a review of public data sources with freely available data, and a brief review of free and low-cost tools for nonprofit mapping and GIS projects.

Hundreds of free GIS books are available from National Academies Press. Specific subjects include, but are not limited to: Geospatial, GIS, GPS, Remote Sensing, Land Use, Maps, Location, ESRI (and ArcGIS), and Google Earth.

Cartography 2.0. An online map and GIS textbook. This is a free online knowledge base and e-textbook for students and professionals interested in interactive and animated maps. It appears to have been reinvented--it's less of a textbook now (January 2013).

Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms in Geographic Information Systems, Cartography, and Remote Sensing.

UC Berkeley's Knight Digital Media Center--Maps Tutorials. "This site of tools is designed to help people get started with using maps in their various publications and presentations. The presentations here include "Map Mashup Resources", "Google Map Basics", "Embedding Map Mashups" and "Map Mashups: Collaboration". Each of these presentations includes a video orientation that will help users get started quickly with their own work. A particularly useful resource is the "Embedding Map Mashups" tutorial, which will teach interested parties how to quickly embed their newly created maps into their own sites. The last section of the site is titled "Maps Links and Resources", and here visitors can learn about how maps are being used online to share information and also find a list of "100 Things to Do With Mashups""--as described by the Internet Scout Report.

Geospatial Solutions. A GIS magazine (with additional resource and career information) closely associated with GPS World.

In the library, the Government Documents computer has ArcGIS installed.

If you need help with any of these resources (or found some others you'd like to see added), ask for assistance at the Library's Reference Desk (227-2294), use the live chat, or contact Bruce Sarjeant, Reference, Documents & Maps Librarian (227-1580).