This message was forwarded to the list by Larry Cruse.--------Johnnie ----------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ---------------------------------- Forwarded ---------------------------------- : Larry Cruse : New Internet resource ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apologies if you have seen twenty times. : Sun, 11 Jun 95 23:26:17 0000 : William Bowen <[log in to unmask]> : Geography: Cal State U. Northridge I am sending you this note to inform you of the creation of a new internet resource, the California Geographical Survey. The survey is a digital archive of geographical data, maps, and other information dealing with California and the United States. This site functions principally for the benefit of the instructional programs in the Department of Geography at California State University Northridge. However, it is also being constructed with the intention that the general public should benefit from the existence of a readily available source of geographical information bearing on matters of their concern and the formulation of public policy. Although much of the statistical material is available through other resources, an extensive collection of new socioeconomic maps is being created as time and funds allow. I would especially like to invite you to investigate the digital atlas of Metropolitan Los Angeles County contained in the Survey's Electronic Map Library. This, like all the other materials contained in the archive's several sections is undergoing constant expansion and revision. If you have any questions, technical or topical, please feel free to contact me via internet. I will try to answer your questions and assist your investigations as far as my academic responsibilities allow. However, due to the strained fiscal climate of the State of California, I will not normally respond to telephone calls or letters. I particularly hope that you enjoy looking at the maps of Los Angeles. They document many of the economic and ethnic issues confronting this most populous county in the nation. I also welcome your suggestions concerning matters of interest to you. As time allows, I will be adding many more items for internet dissemination. If you make your needs known, you may find them met within the Survey's growing collections. During this early period of our development, we are especially interested in hearing from you. Your ideas concerning the resources, their accessibility, and their future development will influence what we do. The California Geographical Survey is a resource of the Department of Geography at California State University, Northridge. As such, it is a creation of the department's employees and students, who are responsible for it's operation. Many of its documents are the intellectual property of individuals who have loaned their works as a public service. They request that users observe their rights and refrain from copying their works except for non-profit classroom instruction within the public schools of California. Internet users wishing to make copies for other purposes should contact the individual authors via the network. The Department of Geography at California State University has been a leader in mapping and geographical education for more than three decades. You are invited to contact the department and its faculty if you wish further information. TECHNICAL INFORMATION INTERNET ACCESS ADDRESSES http://geogdata.csun.edu/ (California Geographical Survey) http://geogdata.csun.edu/library.html (The Electronic Map Library) Lots of maps http://geogdata.csun.edu/census.html (Census Data Archive) 1990 Census tract data for all of California 1990 County data for the United States Historical census data for the United States http://geogdata.csun.edu/cart.html (Cartographic Resources) TIGER/Line files for all of California's counties Additional information about California State University Northridge and its Department of Geography: http://www.csun.edu/ (California State University, Northridge) http://www.csun.edu/~hfgeg003/ (CSUN Geography Home Page) Accessing information and maps from the Survey presumes that users have at least some experience using Mosaic, Netscape, or some other appropriate computer application. Most maps were created in a variety of Macintosh mapping programs and then stored in GIF format for ease of digital transmission and use. In many cases, the original maps were produced in color and at much larger sizes. Statistical data are normally stored as DBase or text files. These may be downloaded in binary format and used by any number of popular computer applications. Users are cautioned, however, that many of these files are larger than 10 megabytes. If you have concerns concerning technical issues, you should contact either: Dr. William Bowen Professor of Geography Department of Geography California State University Northridge Northridge, California 91330 Internet: [log in to unmask] telephone: 818.885.3528 or Robert Provin Senior Technician Department of Geography California State University Northridge Northridge, California 91330 Internet: [log in to unmask]