August 2006 Newsletter
IndianaMap at a Library Near You
Continuing its mission to make digital maps accessible to all Hoosiers, IGIC partnered with the Indiana State
Library on a new project. The result: In July, over 100 public libraries across the state received IndianaMap
packages. The 3-4 disk packages include the 2005 orthophotography for one county, a basic map viewer, and 70
additional map layers, like…
- Land Use
- Voting Precincts
- Population
- Hospitals
- Topographic Maps
- Parks
- Flood Hazard Areas
- Railroad Lines
- Time Zones
- Ecoregions
- School Districts
- Survey Control Benchmarks
- Earthquake Epicenters
The IndianaMap packages can be checked out, taken home, copied, saved and customized. And more than 30
librarians around the state have been trained to provide additional assistance to patrons.
Look for the IndianaMap to be on the shelves of your local library soon.
This project was made possible through a generous grant from the AT&T Foundation.
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Summer Forums
It's the last of the summer forums. Join us for the final two events, where you'll have an
opportunity to discuss Indiana's framework data: what it is, how to get it, how to fund it, and how to maintain it.
Addresses and Roads II
August 25, 2006 1pm-3pm
Indiana Farm Bureau
225 S East Street
Hall B
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Waters
August 25, 2006 9am-12pm
Indiana Farm Bureau
225 S East Street
Hall B
Indianapolis, IN 46202
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Orthophotography Update
The 2005 orthophotography project is coming to a successful conclusion. IGIC has set up a reporting page on the
website where users who find errors in the imagery - warped structures, black lines, missing areas, etc -
can report the problem. If you come across any flawed imagery, visit the
orthos pages for information on who to contact for corrected files.
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IndianaMap Online
In July, the 2005 orthophotography became available for viewing and streaming online. The announcement about the website
(
www.indianamap.org) from the Lt. Governor's office was followed by an overwhelming response from the public. The site,
hosted by the Indiana Geological Survey, recorded 23,000 unique visitors and 450,000 page views the first day alone.
Despite some hardware issues (which were resolved in the first week), the site has been incredibly popular. During the
remaining weeks of July, there were more than 2.2 million hits, primarily from local users.
"The resolution is marvelous!"
Charlie Johnson
Indiana Resident
"I was very impressed with the detail of the aerial maps… Good Job!"
Robert Hutchison
Indiana Taxpayer
"Since we are a commercial real estate business, we use a lot of aerial snapshots in our marketing materials.
So far, I am very impressed with your IndianaMap viewing program."
Andrew Fleck
RESOURCE Commercial Real Estate
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Teach It Up
Schools provide an excellent opportunity for GIS professionals to reach their local and state communities.
Geospatial technologies are a required part of the curriculum in fourth through twelfth grade classrooms.
Concepts and skills utilizing GPS, GIS, orthophotography, satellite imagery and remote sensing are applied
through a variety of classroom and outdoor activities. These skills help equip students for jobs in the 21st
century workplace.
GIS professionals and schools can work together to prepare students for careers in geospatial fields. Dawn Torok, the
Hancock County GIS Coordinator, presented to a group of high school technology educators at a state Technology
Education Conference. Using the 2005 orthophotography, Ms. Torok provided valuable information that teachers
can incorporate into their lesson plans.
If you'd like to connect with school kids in your area - or their teachers - contact the Geography Educators
Network of Indiana www.iupui.edu/~geni.
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In Brief
Homeland Security Grants
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is offering Indiana counties funds for one of two projects
as outlined by the department. For a full description visit www.igic.org. Note that the deadline is October 31st.
A GIS Atlas for Indiana
After a development hiatus, the Indiana Geological Survey reported that the GIS Atlas for Indiana will begin
adding functionality and updating layers this summer.
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Surveying The Possibilities
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the "dominant system of describing and dividing land west of the Eastern
seaboard." It is the legal (not mathematical) reference system that splits the country into gridded blocks,
and is the original basis for property lines. The corners of the gridded areas - known as PLSS corners - are
identified by markers placed in the ground or posted on signs. Many County Surveyors have tie cards or tie
sheets, which describe how to find the markers, though few have been tagged with GPS coordinates.
The statewide Tie Card Project has been underway since 2004. Championed by the IGIC Geodetic Workgroup, the
goal is to scan tie cards and make them accessible in a digital, geographic format. A grant program paid for
laptops and scanners that can be checked out and used by County Surveyors to scan and rename their tie cards.
Donations of time and expertise from the private sector led to a small application that works in conjunction
with the equipment.
The latest step has been to partner with the Indiana Geological Survey on ways to make the tie card layer available
on the GIS Atlas for Indiana. To date, more than 19 counties have been involved in the project.
If you or someone in your County Surveyor's Office would like to take advantage of this opportunity, contact Lorraine
Wright
lwright@idem.in.gov or the IGIC offices
info@igic.org.
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Free Seminars
Introduction to GIS for Librarians
Thursday, August 17th, 2006, 1:00-3:30pm, Indiana State Library, Room 401, Indianapolis
GIS is a powerful tool that can be used by anyone. But what exactly IS it, and how can you take
advantage of it? Jim Sparks of Paul I Cripe will guide you through the basics, everything from how
GIS started to realizing its potential. Tailored for librarians, this seminar can open up a world of
possibilities for anyone working with maps or spatial data.
Addressing Do's and Don'ts - REPEAT PERFORMANCE
Tuesday, September 12th,1:00-3:30pm, Indiana State Library, Room 401, Indianapolis
Addresses are vital to nearly everyone in Indiana - government, private sector and
public alike. But finding and knowing which ones are "correct" can pose a problem.
Find out what's going on in the effort to create a statewide address database, where you
can go in the meantime, and how to use the data intelligently once you get it. Speakers will include
Larry Stout of Hamilton County, Brooke Gajownik of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and
Jill Saligoe-Simmel of IGIC.
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