Women's History Month Display

Women's History Month Map Displays

Casey Gentis, student-assistant

National Women's History Month is celebrated each year during the month of March. The week of March 26 is also Women's Week, an annual event at Ball State University planned by the Women's Studies Program. The week features guest speakers and special exhibits.

A special display commemorating Women's History Month is featured in the front window of the Geospatial Center & Map Collection in Bracken Library. A map showing the states that did not ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and a map showing the countries with women on their Olympics teams (above) are featured.

Students of women's history will also find many atlases in the Atlas Collection covering various women's issues. The Olympic map above was taken from the State of Women in the World Atlas.

For more information about maps, atlases, and other resources, contact the GCMC staff at (765) 285-1097.

Prairie Creek Reservoir Map Display

In the Window: Prairie Creek Reservoir Map Displayed as March "Map of the Month"

The "Map of the Month" for March from the Map Collection in Bracken Library is a map of Prairie Creek Reservoir in Muncie, Indiana. (Click the map for a detailed view).

Andrew Fritz, a graduate student in Landscape Architecture, created the map in 2005 using GIS software and data from aerial photography, digital elevation models, existing spatial data, global positioning systems, existing maps from the Map Collection and other sources, and his own knowledge of the area. The map was originally created to fulfill a project assignment for an undergraduate class--Geography 445, GIS Applications Design and Development. However, Fritz also had a second goal for the map: to educate outdoor enthusiasts about the amenities provided at Prairie Creek Reservoir. So Fritz included on this comprehensive map points of interest such as camping locations, historic sites, beaches, trails, playgrounds, and picknicking areas.

Similar projects and maps may be completed using the GIS software, data, maps and other resources available in the Geospatial Center & Map Collection, and assistance is offered from the staff.

Fritz is in his second year of graduate school after graduating from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geographic Information Processing and Mapping, with minors in geology and telecommunications. Fritz plans to graduate in the spring of 2008.

For more information about Prairie Creek Reservoir, contact the main office at (765) 747-4776.

(Please note: This map was produced for a class assignment. Please do not use for navigation or other serious pursuits).

ESRI Blog on GIS in Libraries

ESRI "Geography Matters" Blog Promotes GIS in Libraries

ESRI, producers of GIS software, publishes a blog about GIS called "Geography Matters." In the latest article on the blog, GIS use in libraries is promoted: "Libraries and museums are centers of knowledge and learning.... Maps in print and digital form are an important part of any collection." The article describes the huge map collection at the Library of Congress and its creation of the Congressional Cartographic Program, "a one-stop GIS shop that provides GIS data and services to congressional personnel to assist in making better-informed public policy decisions." The library's cartographic and geograpic information is also available to the public. The article further promotes the use of GIS in all library collections: "Libraries and museums are realizing that a GIS can not only help organize their growing collections, but can help make the information more easily available to their communities."

Visit the ESRI Blog at http://blogs.esri.com/roller/page/geographymatters

The Geospatial Center & Map Collection at Bracken Library is entering its fourth year of providing GIS services to the University and the community. Contact the GCMC for more information about using GIS and other cartographic and geographic information.

Faculty Technology Showcase March 7

Faculty Technology Showcase at Bracken Library: GIS in Journalism

The annual Ball State University Faculty Technology Showcase is scheduled for March 7 on the first floor of Bracken Library. Each year faculty members offer exhibits featuring technology used in the classroom. This year GIS Specialist Angela Gibson is participating in the exhibit, working with Sheryl Swingley, Instructor in the Department of Journalism. The two are showcasing how GIS technology is being used in the professional field of journalism and also how it is being incorporated into the journalism curriculum at Ball State and other universities. Each year students in Swingley's journalism classes attend GIS seminars learning how to create maps using GIS software. The exhibit will feature some of the students' GIS-generated maps and other examples of journalists using GIS technology to enhance their news stories.

Visit the Faculty Technology Showcase on Wednesday, March 7 on the east side of the Bracken Library lobby between 1:30 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. Contact the GIS Specialist in the GCMC to schedule GIS seminars or to learn how to incorporate GIS technology into other class projects.

Locate Nigeria on the World Map: WIPB Cardinal Quiz Bowl Tests Geography Skills

Cardinal Quiz Bowl is a series airing on public television station WIPB in Muncie. According to WIPB, Cardinal Quiz Bowl focuses attention on the academic ability of area high school students and brings attention to what Ball State University has to offer. Students are quizzed about current events and their general knowledge of art, English literature, geography, math, and science. Each year producers of the show borrow the most current maps available from the Geospatial Center & Map Collection to use on the show. The first Cardinal Quiz Bowl episode airs on Friday, March 9 at 6:00 P.M. The next airing is on Sunday, March 11 at 9:00 A.M. The show continues to air on Fridays and Sundays through March 18. Maps from the GCMC will be featured on episodes airing on March 16 and March 18.