--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 13:00:08 -0500
From: mike furlough <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Collection Development for GIS Datasets
Sender: mike furlough <[log in to unmask]>



> Subject: Collection Development for GIS Datasets
> Sender: [log in to unmask]

David and others,

I also don't get a lot of requests to obtain data that is for sale.
My unwritten policy is to cover the local region and state of
Virginia as thoroughly as  I can with whatever is avialable and
affordable from state, federal and local sources.  Very little
coming from commerical outfits beyond what you mentioned.

I think that base data produced by or for local government
agencies, including planimetric drawings, parcel and tax maps, and
high resolution imagery and contour data are becoming the most
frequently requested spatial data materials in our collection. I am
making a concerted effort to collect that from any Virginia
locality with whom I can get on good terms.  It is sometimes
necessary to pay for this and/or essentially license it for use
only by university students, faculty and staff.  Students always
want the really random coverages that the locality doesn't even
have (eg, polygon boundaries indicating "lighting range" from each
streetlight).

Less frequent but  notable requests for materials not on your list
are FEMA Q3, state highway department data sets, watersheds, and
landsat imagery.  We are working on a way to get the latter at
reduced cost through a share arrangement.

mike

--------------------------------------
Mike Furlough
Geospatial and Statistical Data Center
University of Virginia Library
http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu
(434) 924-3169

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