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Date: Tues 5 Jul 2005 10:25:53 -0300
From: James Boxall <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: MAPS-L: GIS in Libraries
To: "Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum" <[log in to unmask]>

>John,

I'm not sure how Angie or the list will feel about a reply to the group, but
the answers to the questions below may be useful to others. I'd love
to hear/read other replies as they may help me in planning/tweaking
services here. With that said :-)


>    * Where does your library offer GIS services: general reference
>      department, government documents, a map library, or several
>      decentralized service points?

The unit we have is called MAGIC - "maps and geospatial
information collections" - which collaborates with all other units from
two service points: the map collection and the GIS Centre. The GIS Centre
is housed within the "Learning Commons", a facility which has 150 workstations
for general use ( all loaded with ESRI products!), and five high end
machines for GIS
(more speed, RAM, hard drives, 21" monitors, more software). The Centre has
six workstations
for staff and student use, plus a couple that can be plugged in for special
needs
when we are out of space.

>    * Do all public services librarians provide GIS services, or is
>      there a GIS or Map Librarian who alone provides services?

Both sections of MAGIC are run by me, with an assistant curator (thank
heavens).
Map related services are shared by maps and GIS and we have two graduate
and two
undergraduate students dedicated to the map collection (the two grads
are almost always library school students, and they also can provide
GIS reference from the collection).  Myself and the assistant curator
"live" in the GIS Centre along with four grad students and a technical lead
who is responsible for dealing with all software and server issues (plus to do
some GIS analysis when time permits).

Librarians are not directly involved, but we do collaborate with key people
like our data librarian.

>    * Does your library provide funds for staff training in GIS software?

Yes, and we also have access to all ESRI virtual campus courses as part
of our site license (these help a great deal for students in various GIS
courses).
The budget for the Centre also has some funds for training, but we tend to ask
the library to support that aspect GIS in the libraries.

>    * Who are your primary users of GIS?

Whew! Well.....Planning and Architecture, Earth Sciences and Geography (we
have just
begun a process to develop a full geography program...due in part to the
rise in popularity
for GIS!), Community Health and Epidemiology, Engineering, Health
Professions, sociology
and social anthropology, biology, oceanography, resource and environmental
sciences, information
management (what used to be the library school), business, marine affairs
(law) and history (by the way, I just had one the other day from psychology
:-). I guess that covers a fair amount.

>    * Do you advertise your GIS services?  If you do, how?

We have just started the process to do a "blitz" on campus. It is
surprising that, in our case,
the funding for GIS came about because of the huge demand which grew by
word of mouth
and with no promotional campaign - go figure :-). We plan flyers, web
promotions, GIS Day, in class
demos, trips to faculty offices, campus news announcements (and I hope a an
article in both
our newspaper and our alumni magazine - very cool fund raising opportunities!).

>    * Are GIS services provided by appointment only?

No. We allow walk ins, but we do tell classes and people who email or call
to set up an
initial appointment to see what they need and how long it will take. We
then tell them how long
we think it will take to work with them. We love it when we can use the
time to teach them how to do it
rather than doing it for them. Most of the "quick" cartographic work and
data "cleaning" is done by
my grad students. We've found that people are really very good about
requesting appointments as they
understand the value added nature of the work we do (and the fact that some
thesis projects can take a
very long time for both us and the student).

>    * Are GIS services provided on a fee-based basis?  If they are, how
>      are fees assessed?

For now they are free, but we are going to charge soon. Fees will be
divided into the
basics (simple map production, data cleaning, data extraction, plots and
prints) and
non-basics (project design, modelling, analysis, etc.). This last bit is
problematic. A general
rule will be to provide those services to faculty and grad students only,
and we hope with
the ability to charge work done to research grants. Some faculty come here
and say "I
want 20 hours of your time just for my project". So, in the next year, we
will charge for that.
However, one key thing we keep in mind is the issue of making sure we don't
anger the
private sector (we like to be above board with them as they are great
supporters). It's not
a big issue, nor is it one to come up often, but it's better to be open
about it and ask what
the views are rather than get burned. It would be great to do it all for
free, but part of our budget
process requires us to show some recovery.

>    * How does your library evaluate GIS service needs and the level of
>      service?

Well, there's two ways to look at this. We communicate with faculty in
various departments
(and they with us) about needs, courses, projects, research and the like
which helps
guide the process of developing or reducing services. We also adhere to the
service policies of the libraries.
However, much of what we do or plan to do is based upon what we see is
happening and how
the Centre is getting "used". We are part of the libraries, and we do
follow the values and mission,
but we are also viewed as a "unique" entity that determines and adapts as
needed without having
to go through the usual channels. Not sure if that makes much sense.

>    * Who provides technical assistance and maintains the computing
>      equipment necessary for GIS services?

It is a joint operation between our systems departments, ourselves and the
university computing
services. We do software, systems does hardware, and university computing
maintains the physical
servers where data and licenses are held. It's a great network and we all
get along, so there are
times when we need something quick and systems isn't available, so we do it
ourselves. Other times
we are available and they kindly do it without our even noticing (or
asking). Because of the technical
nature of GIS, we tend to function in ways that are not the norm for other
units in the libraries.

>    * Does your library provide most of the funding to maintain GIS
>      services?

No. The library does fund my and the assistant curators salaries and two
undergrad students. Updates
to hardware, software, hiring grad students and other GIS functions are
paid for out of the Centre's
budget which is a separate budget line provided by the VP Academic. This is
one of the mains reasons
that GIS in the libraries is unique (the only other unit akin to use is
Archive and Special Collections).
I should add that part of the mandate for the Centre is to seek additional
funds for projects and support
(research grants, strategic grants, etc), and to seek those funds in
collaboration with others on campus
and off (or far afield). The position of curator and director has, for
these reasons and other mentioned above,
been geared to become an active teaching (full credit courses, thesis
committees, etc.) and a research
position. This has come about as a result of funding and the "charge" of
the campus (when a VP wants
GIS to become more significant...well....you know what I mean :-)

Finally (and yes, there is a conclusion), GIS in libraries must be designed
based upon the needs
"on the ground". Our situation may be unique (not necessarily better). We
have, relatively speaking,
a pretty large operation and the university administration is willing to
see it grow (more funding please :-)).
Campus-wide support is increasing rapidly, and we need to take advantage of
that while we can (make
hay while the sun shines). The general rule of thumb (and the strategy we
followed) was to make GIS
part of the libraries because of our neutrality and commitment to service,
and the simple fact that
our Campus GIS Committee agreed with us that having one department "own it"
didn't make sense (although
it in no way prevents a department from developing great GIS programs!). My
personal goal has been to
establish the GIS Centre and GIS services in such a way as to ensure (as
much as possible given budget realities)
that when I leave, the person taking my place will not have to start from
scratch or need to make the case
for GIS in the libraries (and to leave them in a financial position as
secure as it can be). So far, so good.

And by the way, the map collection has become more utilized and secure
(with more $$) at the same time.The case I made to the library, which
solely funds maps) was that great GIS needed a great map collection - and
use HAS gone up.




>Thank you for your assistance.


I look forward to reading other replies. Thanks for the questions John.
Best of luck!

cheers
james




>John C. Phillips
>Map Librarian
>The University of Toledo
>Phone: 419-530-2865
>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>--

James Boxall
Director, GIS Centre
Curator, Map Collection
Killam Library, Dalhousie University,
Halifax, Nova Scotia  B3H 4H8 Canada
+ 1 902.494.6126 (or 6719)
+ 1 902.494.3757 (maps)
+ 1 902.494.2062 (f)
[log in to unmask]

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