Our hope is that this brief compilation of resources can help both novice practitioners learn more about GIS generally, and connect seasoned users with on-campus support. Explore using the links below, and let us know what else you'd like to see!
GIS DAY @ IU 2024
This Year's Format
Stay tuned for information on 2024's GIS Day events!Questions?
Get in touch with us!
Contact head organizer Theresa Quill (theward@iu.edu) with questions or concerns, and we'll get you directed to the right place.
2023 Program at a Glance
NOV 1: BTAA GIS Conference Map Gallery Deadline
Submission Form
NOV 15 / 4-6 PM: GIS Networking at Switchyard Brewing Co.
Register / Info
NOV 8: BTAA GIS Day Conference
Event Info
Resources
What is GIS?
“A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface. GIS can show many different kinds of data on one map. This enables people to more easily see, analyze, and understand patterns and relationships.” -National Geographic Society
What is GIS Day?
GIS Day is an international initiative intended to "help people learn about geography and the real-world applications of GIS that are making an impact on our society." There are events all over the world--not just at IU! If you're interested in learning more, you can visit gisday.com.
Who's involved with using GIS at IU?
There are several departments, individuals, and organizations on campus who offer GIS resources and information. We've compiled a brief overview below, but if you have any questions, please reach out to us at gisday@indiana.edu.
I'm interested in learning more about GIS as part of my degree. Are there IU classes I can take?
Yes! In fact, IU offers several programs dedicated to GIS. You can learn more through the Department of Geography's website.
Choosing a Digital Method: Mapping
Institute for Digital Arts and Humanities (Mia Partlow)
What Can Mapping and Spatial Analysis Do for You?
Institute for Digital Arts and Humanities (Kalani Craig and Daniel Story)
Core Concepts of GIS and Cartography
GIMMS (Theresa Quill)
CartoShop: Inviting Interdisciplinary Research through GIS Mapping Workshops
IU Libraries / GIMMS (Erika Jenns and Theresa Quill)
GIS Software and Data Sources for Research
UITS (Justin Peters)
Introduction to GIS and Spatial Data Analysis
Center for the Study of Institutions, Population, and Environmental Change (Tom Evans)
Visit the Indiana Spatial Data Portal to learn more.
Website: idah.indiana.edu/news-events/_gisday/index.html
Dismantling Borders’ Toxic Discourses and Colonial Cultural Records
(GIS Day 2019 Keynote)
Approaches to public data and archives: Mapping as a form of activism
(GIS Day 2019 Workshop)
Network
Connect with the Bloomington GIS Community! Expand the sections to learn more about groups engaging with GIS on our campus and in our community.
GIS Services for the IUB Libraries are based out of the Herman B Wells Library, Government Information, Maps, & Microforms Services (GIMMS). The GIS Librarian offers one-on-one assistance with finding and managing data, GIS applications, and classroom instruction. The library also offers GIS Workshops in the Scholars' Commons on a variety of topics. GIMMS is also home to the Herman B Wells Library map collection, which holds over half a million sheet maps. Collection strengths are the state of Indiana, Russia & Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the African Continent, though the collection contains maps of nearly every country in the world.
Website: libraries.indiana.edu/maps-and-gis
Contact: Theresa Quill (theward@iu.edu)
UITS GIS administers IU’s subscription to the ArcGIS mapping and analytics platform developed by Esri, which provides a comprehensive set of professional tools for compiling, visualizing, analyzing, editing, managing, and sharing geographic data. Our team provides support for accessing and licensing the software, and we can connect users to Esri support for technical questions. We also administer the Indiana Spatial Data Portal, which provides orthoimagery for the state of Indiana, as well as selected lidar and elevation datasets.
For more information on ArcGIS resources at IU, visit https://kb.iu.edu/d/appk.
To access ArcGIS Online, visit https://iu.maps.arcgis.com/.
Contact: UITS GIS (uitsgis@iu.edu)
The GIS group is part of our local government's Information and Technology Services Departments. We manage spatial data and provides mapping and spatial analysis services to support operations of City Departments, Boards and Commissions, and the general public.
Website: bloomington.in.gov/gis
Contact: bloomington.in.gov/departments/its
Monroe County GIS manages spatial data for the county, including parcel data.
Website: MoCo-GIS
Contact: gis@co.monroe.in.us