Thanksgiving Hours at Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) will be closed on November 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving.  The GRMC will reopen at 8:00 on Monday, November 30.   

Maps in the News: Syria, Paris, St. Denis, Molenbeek, Brussels, Bamako, Mali

Maps in the News

(Click to enlarge maps)

ITM Map of Mali, 2007

Ball State University Libraries' GIS Research and Map Collection

Tourist Information Bureau of Brussels, 1979

Molenbeek

Michelin Map of Paris, 1987

St. Denis

Maps4News Paris

New York Times, November 2015

New Maps Collection in the Ball State University Libraries' Digital Media Repository

Grain, Gas, and Gear:  U.S. Commodities Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has provided more maps for a new collection available online from the Libraries’ Digital Media Repository—the United States Commodities Maps Collection.  The Digital Media Repository (DMR) provides access to a broad range of digitized primary source materials, including artwork, architectural drawings, films and video, oral histories, photographs, publications, and historic maps and cartographic resources.

This collection provides online access to a set of maps published by the United States Army Engineer Institute for Water Resources.  The maps depict various commodity movement routes, including iron, steel, crude oil, and grain.  Pipeline transportation systems, major waterways, and ports are included in the collection.  The maps may be downloaded for use in research and learning.

For more information about the Digital Media Repository, please contact the Archives and Special Collections at 765-285-5078.  For more information about any of the maps in the collections, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Veterans Day Cartographic Exhibits

Veterans Day Map Exhibits Available from Ball State University Libraries

Today is Veterans Day, and the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) provides access to commemorative cartographic posters that can be used for special exhibits or classroom displays.  The GRMC created posters featuring maps and photographs depicting events of the major wars in which the United States has fought, and the posters are available from the Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar digital repository. 

The maps and images are from atlases and other cartographic resources in the GRMC and Atlas Collection on the second floor of Bracken Library.  Teachers, students, and other researchers can access the posters to be displayed digitally or printed off in large format.  (The GRMC offers large-format printing on two plotters with charges through the Bursar’s office).

Review all of the digital resources (posters, custom maps, lesson plans) available in Cardinal Scholar from the GRMC.  And the GRMC adds new resources every month, so check the list for updates.

For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

GIS Day at Ball State University Libraries

GIS Day 2015 at Ball State University Libraries

GIS Day is celebrated around the world on Wednesday, November 18.  The Ball State University GIS Knowledge Group will be hosting a public GIS presentation and student poster competition in the Schwartz Digital Complex just off the lobby of Bracken Library from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

According to ESRI, the world’s preeminent producer of mapping software, geographic information system (GIS) lets users visualize, question, analyze, and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends.  GIS benefits organizations of all sizes and in almost every industry. 

Colin Rose, Lead Research Assistant and PhD. candidate in the Department of History at the University of Toronto, will be presenting about the DECIMA project.  DECIMA (Digitally Encoded Census Information and Mapping Archive) is a powerful tool integrating a wide variety of social and economic historical data into a visualized spatial framework.  The talk will be from 3:00 to 4:00 pm in Bracken Library room 104 across from the Schwartz Digital Complex.

A student-created poster competition and exhibit will feature some of the innovative GIS projects of Ball State University students.  From 2:00 to 3:00 pm attendees can view the student-created research posters and vote for a favorite, discover more information about the GIS Knowledge Group, and browse the available GIS software and data resources on campus.

Students who wish to enter the GIS poster competition should contact Angie Gibson, Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Specialist.  (Awards will be presented for the top two posters).

The GIS Day event is free and open to the public.  The event is sponsored by the Ball State University Department of History; Office of the Dean, College of Sciences and Humanities; Office of the Associate Vice President for Research; Department of Geography; and University Libraries.

For more information, about the GIS Day event or using GIS software, please contact the GIS Research and Map Collection at 765-285-1097.

Ball State University Celebrates Geography Awareness Week

Ball State University Celebrates Geography Awareness Week

National Geographic celebrates geography every year with Geography Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is “Explore! The Power of Maps.”  This year National Geographic is celebrating 100 years of cartographic history the week of November 15-21. 

Ball State University is kicking off a week of geography-related events and exhibits with a special presentation, “Maps as (Em)power(ment)” on Monday, November 16 from 6:00 to 7:00 in Bracken Library room 104.  Dr. Jorn Seemann, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, will be presenting an informative session about the unique power of maps for conveying a “world of information” in a visual, spatial format. 

The presentation will acquaint the audience with a vast collection of maps used for numerous purposes of education and learning.  Anyone—young or old, geography buff to beginning learner, teacher, student, map lover—is welcome, and the session is free and open to the public.  (Paid parking is available in the Emens parking structure).

Dr. Seemann has a master’s degree in Geography from Universitat Hamburg in Germany and a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.  The focus of his research is the relations between maps and society.  He is particularly interested in cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives, including mental maps, cartographic education, and creative ways of thinking, perceiving, and representing space and place.

A corresponding exhibit displaying a gallery of maps will be located in the front windows of the Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library.  This special exhibit of maps will be available through the end of November.

For more information about any of the Geography Awareness Week programs, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Web Sites Provide Real-Time Flight Tracking

Mapping Flights:  The Sinai Peninsula         

The United Kingdom and now Russia have suspended flights over the Sinai Peninsula due to safety concerns following the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt that killed 224 people last Saturday.  American airlines do not fly over the Sinai Peninsula. 

Flightradar24 is a flight tracking service that shows real-time location information about thousands of aircraft around the world.  A screenshot (above, click to enlarge) of flights occurring this morning reveals how aircraft are avoiding most of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.  (Flights are also avoiding the conflict zones in Syria, Iraq, and the Ukraine).

Freedom Bus Visits Ball State University on Friday

Civil Rights History Freedom Bus Exhibit at Ball State University Friday

A presentation on the Ball State University Freedom Bus immersive learning project will be held on Friday, November 6 in the Arts & Journalism Building 175 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. 

The Freedom Bus began almost ten years ago when Muncie leaders dreamed of turning a retired city bus into a mobile museum teaching the history of the civil rights movement of East Central Indiana.  An interdisciplinary team of students began last fall researching and creating timelines, maps, and interactive exhibits for display on the bus under the direction of Dr. Beth Messner, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies.

When completed in the spring of 2016, the Freedom Bus will function as a traveling museum, visiting schools, organizations, and other community events.  The mission of the bus is to educate about local civil rights history, celebrate the work of local civil rights activists, and inspire visitors to make a difference in their own communities.

This presentation will discuss the development of the Freedom Bus.  Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the museum to see the students’ work.

Sponsors of the Freedom Bus are the Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Team, the City of Muncie/Muncie Human Rights Commission, and Muncie Indiana Transportation Service.  Ball State University sponsors include the Office of the Provost, the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, and the Department of Communication Studies.