GIS in Rural Libraries Making ArcView Easier to Support In Small Libraries

GIS in Rural Libraries Lee Herrington SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry,Syracuse NY & The Institute for the Application of GeoSpatial Technology at Cayuga Community College, Auburn NY

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 3 Overview Purpose and System The Region and Library Objectives The Plan (AV customization) The System Further Development Summary

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 4 Purposes of the Project To provide access to geographic data and information to users of the Indian Lake Town Library (ILTL) To provide access to GI in such a way that the support load on the Librarian and assistants is minimized in terms of –Learning ArcView –Showing users how to use ArcView To provide training for the Librarian and assistants

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 5 System and Data The System –ArcView 3.2 Library Package –Project is a Modification of the default project The Data –ESRI data supplied with the Library Package –NYS Data –The NFLI (Northern Forest Lands Inventory) data for New York (area North of the Mohawk River)

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 6 The Region Area 1,757 sq mi Pop ’90 5,279 = 3/sq mi Pop ’99 5,180 Households 2,153 Indian Lake

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 7 Northern Forest Lands Area

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 8 Library Indian Lake Town Library –About 1800 square feet –One librarian –Several staff assistants –Computers available –Near center of the hamlet of Indian Lake –Across street from the Central School(K-12)

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 9 Objective Provide access to geographic data for users –Elementary & high school students –Residents –Summer residents and tourists –Local government agencies

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 10 Objectives Access had to be provided for users with different levels of knowledge in –Computers (PCs) –Geographic Information –ArcView So it had to be easy to use while still allowing knowledgeable users to do it on their own. Ideally, it would allow novice users to learn more about using the normal ArcView interface A major challenge! Requirements

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 11 The Plan: the Customization of AV Must: Lead the user through the steps of –Accessing themes and adding them to a View –Working with a View –Creating a Layout

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 12 The Plan: a Customization of AV Must: Require little knowledge of AV or GI at first Allow the user to learn how to use AV –By using as many of the menus, buttons, and tools in native mode and appearance as possible –By having a HELP system designed to instruct –By having several levels of hand holding Be relatively bullet proof Lead the user through the steps of

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 13 Data base ESRI –Arc 1 / 2,000,000 scale –Arc 1 / 3,000,000 scale –Arc Digital Chart of the World –Arc data that comes with AV Digital Orthophotoquads of NY Geotiffs of NY topo maps NFLI data for Northern NY Do not have high speed access to the web so data will be on CDs

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 14 The Plan: Accessing data These data sets have been created from the existing ESRI, NY State, and NFLI data For example: –New England data set created by clipping the ESRI USA data to the New England States –Adirondack data from NFLI and State data sets which have been clipped to the county boundaries –Default Legends are made for every theme

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 15 The Plan: Accessing data 1.The default apr opens with a dialog that allows the user to Select a data set OR Run the Standard ArcView interface 2.Select the area desired 3.Select the themes desired 4.Make a Layout

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 16 Key Features of ILTL system The next slides show the user’s view of the ILTL system for the NFLI data

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 17 Opening apr When the default apr loads this is the first dialog that the user sees. If the user checks this radio button then:

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 18 ADK interface

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esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 20 County Selection View Most of AV normal view button and tools. Selection tool active ILTL tools: -Start over -Remove window -Layout

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 21 Jefferson and Lewis counties selected

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esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 23 Right Click

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 24 OK Right Click Normal Tools Clicking OK yields this view User has selected Jefferson & Lewis Counties

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 25 This dialog allows the user to select from the data common to the selected counties

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 26 Yes Layers Available; Select 1 or many Polygon layers for background; Select 1 Help button for description of theme This dialog allows the user to select from the data common to the selected counties

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 27 User selects Roads And political subdivisons

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 28 OK

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 29 OK

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 30 OK

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 31 Objects can be dragged about with the black arrow tool. Text can be edited by dragging a selection box over the text field with the black arrow and then double clicking the text. Font size and type can be controlled by the symbol window. Use simplify from the graphics menu to ungroup the legend so it can be edited. This text can be used to describe your map by replacing this text with yours or the text can deleted if you do not need a description.

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 32 When done Save the Project on your own disk Print the Layout Click the button to delete the current view Click the button to restart

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 33 Summary Was a lot harder to do than I expected Won’t know how well it works until we test in the library To do: –Finish the help system –Add label capability through dialog –Create other customized data sets –Install and provide instruction to library staff –Evaluate its use (by tracking what people do)

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 34