U-Spatial, our GIS unit on campus, created this historical country boundaries layer <https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=85e35d64d67f425c94ebca45dad6568a> for Esri a couple of years ago. They also did major empires <https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=1bb885a34b44491eb06c5681dd009d11> and quite a few other (contemporary) layers <https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/home/search.html?q=owner%3A%22University_of_Minnesota%22%20&restrict=false&start=1&num=20&focus=layers> . On Tue, Apr 2, 2019 at 12:16 PM Eliza Bettinger <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Kathleen, > > > Oooh, I love this idea. Both the sharing out of this particular data set, > and in general, historical boundary digitizing as a useful task for GIS > student library workers to contribute to. > > > Which web services are you referring to that have historical world > boundaries? > > Also, what is IGN? Is it a French national mapping service? > > > Cheers > > eliza > > > -- > > Eliza Bettinger > > Digital Humanities Librarian > > Research and Learning Services > > 106 Olin Library > > Cornell University > > Ithaca NY 14853 USA > > 607-255-4042 (office) > ------------------------------ > *From:* Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> on behalf > of Weessies, Kathleen <[log in to unmask]> > *Sent:* Tuesday, April 2, 2019 12:09:57 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Re: Historical French colonial boundaries in Africa > > > We’ve been talking about having a GIS student create some historical world > boundary shapefiles. They don’t seem to exist as shapefiles, only as a web > service. If we develop some, we could host the shapefiles on our ArcOnline > site, or we could host it on the Big Ten Academic Alliance ArcOnline site > (or both). > > > > French West Africa is an area of interest to us, something to consider. > If your student does end up making one before we get around to it, please > encourage her to share it! We will host it permanently and of course > plaster her name all over the metadata! > > > > One question we ran into right away is, whose version of boundaries do you > follow? For world post-1945 we’ll probably use United Nations maps as > reference. For French West Africa it makes sense to use IGN, an easier > decision. > > > > Kathleen Weessies > > Social Sciences Coordinator; Head, Map Library > > Michigan State University > > [log in to unmask] > > 517-884-0849 > > > > *From:* Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. <[log in to unmask]> *On Behalf > Of *Eliza Bettinger > *Sent:* Tuesday, April 2, 2019 8:09 AM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* Historical French colonial boundaries in Africa > > > > Hello All, > > > > This is a long shot, but I'm wondering if any of you have a lead on GIS > data containing boundaries of colonial French West Africa down to the > cercle (political administration subunit) level. My patron (a grad student) > is looking for data from about 1925. > > > > My guess is that her only hope will be to trace a historic map image, but > wanted to reach out to see if there's anyone out there will boundaries > already created that they're willing to share. > > > > All the best, > > Eliza > > > > -- > > Eliza Bettinger > > Digital Humanities Librarian > > Research and Learning Services > > 106 Olin Library > > Cornell University > > Ithaca NY 14853 USA > > 607-255-4042 (office) > -- Ryan Mattke Map & Geospatial Information Librarian Head, John R. Borchert Map Library <https://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert> Adjunct Faculty, MGIS Program <http://cla.umn.edu/mgis> Project Lead, Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Data Project <https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/btaa-gdp/> Co-Director, Mapping Prejudice Project <https://www.mappingprejudice.org/> Phone: 612.624.5757 Web: http://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert <https://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert> ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8816-9289