The Changing Face of GIS
ANDREW NICHOLSONChanges in GIS technology and use are empowering the public and connecting and creating diverse communities, according to Michael Goodchild, geography professor and director of the Center for Spatial Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Goodchild delivered a keynote speech – "The Changing Face of GIS" – at the recent Geomatics Atlantic Conference held at Acadia University.
In his talk, Goodchild discussed the growing demand and interest in "volunteered geographic information" where members of the public collect geographic data and share it on websites such as Murmur Toronto and Wikimapia. Stressing that this is an empowering development for citizens (who may have no background in geography or awareness of geospatial concepts), Goodchild nevertheless urged educators to stay focused on teaching spatial literacy concepts to students, such as location, distance and scale. Through this approach, a greater spatial intelligence and more opportunities for geographic information sharing will emerge.
Other sessions at the conference also highlighted geospatial and Web 2.0 technologies as enabling a participatory GIS. This has allowed for the collection and sharing of geospatial data among small communities or academic groups who may not have the staff or financial resources to acquire the data they need on their own. Sometimes the best option has been an ad hoc approach using "open access" datasets. Libraries can play a role in this process, as staff with GIS expertise can offer technical and project assistance as well as some datasets to facilitate a researcher’s work.
The Geomatics Atlantic Conference was organized by the Geomatics Association of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Cartographic Association and the Association of Canadian Map Libraries and Archives (ACMLA). A complete report of the 2009 Geomatics Atlantic Conference can be found in the ACMLA Bulletin 135 Spring-Summer 2009. To obtain a copy, check the U of T Libraries Catalogue or contact the U of T Mississauga’s GIS/Data Librarian.
