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Experiences with Data Dissemination

Gain insights from experiences shared at ACMLA Toronto meeting in 2002 on data dissemination and GIS. Explore the history, proposal stages, developments, and success factors of Data Resource Centre at University of Guelph. Learn about GIS integration and future plans.

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Experiences with Data Dissemination

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  1. Experiences with Data Dissemination ACMLA Meetings Toronto, 2002 Bo Wandschneider Manager Academic Service University of Guelph Bo@uoguelph.ca ACMLA - Toronto

  2. Introduction • Parallels between what we went through in Data Centre with DLI and what GIS librarians going through now • There is overlap and we can gain from each others experiences • Many sites integrate ‘data’ and ‘maps’ ACMLA - Toronto

  3. Topics of Discussion • History of DRC • Proposal Stage • Why Successful • Hardware • What You Need • Developments • GIS ACMLA - Toronto

  4. What To Expect • Not providing answers • Outlining our process and solutions with respect to ‘data’ • May help you make decisions for your own site with respect to geospatial data • Speak in general terms with focus on UoG experiences ACMLA - Toronto

  5. History of DRC I • Grew out of the Social Sciences • There was a need • Economics researchers did a lot of empirical work and other departments looked to their support person for help (this included library) • Already developed interfaces to CANSIM, CRSP and LAVAL ACMLA - Toronto

  6. History of DRC II • Joined ICPSR in early 90’s • Questions re: funding and support • Attended a summer workshop at ICPSR put on by Chuck Humphrey, Diane Geraci and Jim Jacobs • Visited Laine Russ and Vince Gray and talked to lots of of people on lists like CAPDU, DLI, IASSIST ACMLA - Toronto

  7. Proposal Stage • Based on information gathered • Wrote a detailed proposal outlining various models for a Guelph data centre in 1993 • Flogged it to EVERYONE • DLI was the key • Kansas was playing with SAS/Perl • Developed a prototype ACMLA - Toronto

  8. Proposal to Pilot • Set up a Pilot in Fall of 1996 • Partnership between CCS and Library and CSS • Moved from CSS to CCS – partnership changed • SAC formed to give us a forum to vet ideas and generate support ACMLA - Toronto

  9. Why Successful • Timing was right – latent demand • Collaborative – CCS/Library • Built a TEAM • Librarian - Gov Docs • Library Associate - Gov Docs • Systems Analyst – programmer • Systems Analyst – background with data applications in Social Science research ACMLA - Toronto

  10. Hardware/Infrastructure • Physical location with personal/public workstations in Library • Central Unix Server (piggy back on Stats Server) • Started as HP K200, single Processor, 256 Mb memory with about 10GB dedicated to DRC • Now a Sun E450, 4 processor, 4Gb memory with about 200GB disk for DRC ACMLA - Toronto

  11. What you need • Need someone with vision and drive • Don’t get stuck talking in committees about problems needs and ideal solutions. Although, buy-in is critical • Demand is out there now so get the info to the users and worry about the details later. • Someone will always do it better tomorrow – use that to grow your service • Get people with hands-on experience or train, train, train – This is applied work • Publicize ACMLA - Toronto

  12. Further Developments • Moved to integrate with Gov Docs Reference (challenging, really just happening over last year) • TDR partnership • Developed DDI compliant metadata • GIS ACMLA - Toronto

  13. GIS • From the beginning we discussed what to do with Census Maps • Lacked GIS skills on our team • Most of our data is geo-spatially referenced • Problem - no consensus on GIS tools on campus • Lacked specialized equipment/lab in library to deliver information • Needs exist in departments beyond core GIS users ACMLA - Toronto

  14. GIS - What we did first • Started small – biggest bang for the buck • Hired a work study student • They wrote web pages to wrap around census files • Explained files and how to use them in detail • Simply served the files to user • Worked very well • Used by other sites • http://drc.uoguelph.ca/GEOG/geogindex.htm ACMLA - Toronto

  15. GIS - What happened? • NTDB, NRVIS, DMTI, DCRB, Grand River, Municipal, OMAFRA Soil Maps …. • This is a good thing, right ? • déjà vu ? ACMLA - Toronto

  16. GIS - What did we do next • Jenny Marvin became the GIS librarian • Integrated, Gov Docs, Data and Maps • Changes in CCS staffing of DRC allowed us to have our staff gain experience with GIS, specifically ESRI • Negotiated a site licence for ESRI on campus • Someone ‘gave us’ a disk tower • Still a partnership between CCS and Library ACMLA - Toronto

  17. GIS - What else did we do • Wrote pages around the new data and served it to the users like what we did for census • Added 3 work stations outside DRC with account security for maps that need licences signed by user (incl. ESRI and CDRW’s) • High School and Work Study help • Onus is still on the client to figure out how to view information – they need the skills ACMLA - Toronto

  18. GIS - What are we going to do • ARCIMS – deliver maps on the web for those with no GIS skills • ARC Catalog – create metadata for collection • Offer training in ARCGIS similar to what we do with SAS and SPSS • Promote use of ESRI • Establish a GIS lab in library • http://drc.uoguelph.ca/GIS_SITE/ ACMLA - Toronto

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