Were you unable to attend a Libraries’ sponsored IAP session this January? Wish you could have attended the March workshops on Building an EndNote Library, or the recent class on Google Maps?

The Libraries are pleased to unveil recordings of our popular workshops. The sessions were recorded in cooperation with Academic Media Production Services (AMPS) and are viewable both on and off campus with your MIT Certificates.

To see a list of recordings, go to the MIT Libraries Video Tutorials page and scroll down to Videos of Recent Workshops.

Contact Angie Locknar with any questions.

By February 2009, any Landsat archive scene selected by a user will be processed, at no charge, automatically to a standard product recipe and staged for electronic retrieval. In addition, newly acquired scenes meeting a cloud cover threshold of 20% or below will be processed to the standard recipe and placed on line for at least three months, after which they will remain available for selection from the archive. The USGS is pursuing an aggressive schedule to provide users with electronic access to any Landsat scene held in the USGS-managed national archive of global scenes dating back to Landsat 1, launched in 1972. Details can be found in the USGS Technical Announcement.

Social Explorer provides over 3200 maps, and thousands of variables, painting a picture of US population change from 1790 to 2000. The MIT Libraries’ subscription to Social Explorer provides the MIT community with access to the full set of data, for all years if you use this url to enter the website: http://libraries.mit.edu/get/explorer

Introduction to Google Maps API (5 - 6 pm)

Googler Pamela Fox will give a whirlwind tour of the Google Maps API and KML, teaching the basics of each and showing off some of the really fun applications of them (like campus maps, interactive panoramas, and fantasy worlds).

Google Maps Codelab (6 - 7 pm)

Interactive codelabs in the topics addressed in the Introduction to Google Maps API. Codelab participants should come prepared with basic Javascript or XML experience, and will find debugging the Maps API easier if they have Firebug installed.

Both sessions will be held in 14N-132.

Food will be provided

Email gishelp at mit.edu if you have questions.

MIT Geoweb provides a web interface to search, view, and download GIS data and view metadata from the MIT Geodata Repository, an international collection of GIS data maintained by MIT GIS Services.

http://web.mit.edu/geoweb

Questions, comments, or suggestions: email gishelp@mit.edu

There has been an explosion of open source and free mapping tools. In this talk we will offer a brief look into the neogeographer’s world of online mapping.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 23, 2 -3 pm

WHERE: 4-231

Complete listing of GIS workshops

Image source: http://www.joomla.org/content/view/4410/74/

The MIT Libraries have acquired Indian Census data to the Tahsil and Ward boundary level (the most detailed level released by the Indian government), as well as detailed city data for Hyderabad, Delhi, and Mumbai. With GIS data you can analyze the numeric information and visualize the data by creating your own maps. All data is available through the MIT Geodata Repository. The GIS Datasets for India webpage provides a more detailed listing of datasets.

The GIS Lab walk-in hours have been extended. A GIS specialist will now be available for walk-in assistance in the GIS Lab from 1-4pm Monday through Thursday. If you are not available during regular lab hours send your GIS questions to gishelp@mit.edu.

The MIT GIS lab is located in Rotch Library (7-238).

Fall GIS Lab workshops

This class will introduce a variety of commonly used GIS tools, including learning to create and edit your own data, incorporate paper maps into a GIS (georeference), map tabular information (addresses and xy data - for example, from a GPS unit), change the projection of your data, calculate the straight line distance between points, create contour lines from a digital elevation model (DEM), and use ArcScene to visualize data in 3D. It is recommended for users to have done the Introduction to GIS exercise or have some previous experience with ArcGIS before attending this workshop.

Fall GIS Lab workshops

Location: MIT GIS lab, Rotch Library (7-238)

The US Census holds an enormous amount of demographic information dating back to 1790. New and interesting relationships can often times be observed when looking at census data on a map. Come learn about what’s in the US Census and the tools available for mapping it.

Fall GIS Lab workshops

Learn to read the contour lines on a topographic map and how to use a digital elevation model to do hydrographic analysis.

Fall GIS Lab workshops

Learn about GIS, and the basics of using ArcGIS, a powerful desktop Geographic Information System (GIS) available at MIT. Learn to work with data from the MIT Geodata Repository, analyze the data and create maps that can be used in reports and presentations.

Fall GIS Lab workshops

This session will be offered twice: Friday, September 21 & Friday, October 19

Location: MIT GIS lab, Rotch Library (7-238)

The US Census holds an enormous amount of demographic information dating back to 1790. New and interesting relationships can often times be observed when looking at census data on a map. Come learn about what’s in the US Census and the tools available for mapping it.

Fall GIS Lab workshops

Learn about GIS, and the basics of using ArcGIS, a powerful desktop Geographic Information System (GIS) available at MIT. Learn to work with data from the MIT Geodata Repository, analyze the data and create maps that can be used in reports and presentations.

WHERE: 14N-132 (Digital Instruction Resource Center – DIRC)

WHEN: Friday, July 20, noon – 1pm

While you won’t come out of this session qualified to be a patent attorney, you will be able to successfully find patent references from all over the world and know how to obtain patent text and diagrams.

The session will be a hands-on practicum which will help de-mystify the patent literature and expose attendees to key resources for finding patent literature. Using patent literature is important for understanding competitive technologies and keeping abreast of current product innovations.

Feel free to bring your lunch! Drinks and dessert will be provided.

Sponsored by the MIT Libraries.

Contact the Science Library for more information.

Full schedule of JulyAP 2007 information workshops

WHERE: 14N-132 (Digital Instruction Resource Center – DIRC)

WHEN: Friday, July 13, noon – 1pm

Can you use and re-use your own work for future writing and teaching? Or is it locked tight behind a vault of copyright restrictions?

This session will help you find the keys to fully realize the potential of your own work for yourself and the world. It will provide a very brief summary of copyright law and how it affects your work, and an overview of actions you can take to improve the impact and reach of your research – including why retaining rights to your work matters, and how you can take advantage of such rights to increase citation and readership.

Feel free to bring your lunch! Drinks and dessert will be provided.

Sponsored by the MIT Libraries.

Contact the Science Library for more information.

Full schedule of JulyAP 2007 information workshops

What’s the big deal about open access anyway? If I’m writing an article, what rights should I keep? Where can I find out more?

Check out http://libraries.mit.edu/open-access to find out what’s happening nationally and beyond, and http://libraries.mit.edu/rights to find out how to retain your rights and increase the impact of your research.

Look for these posters showing current Open Access Models at the Engineering and Science Libraries (Barker, Hayden, Lindgren and Aero/Astro).

Want to be sure you’re using data responsibly? Concerned about issues of confidentiality of survey respondents? Have you ever come across a data set that says it’s “restricted access?” The Libraries’ Social Science Data Services has two new web resources to help you:

Responsible Use: Outlines good practices for using data, including maintaining respondent confidentiality and citing data sources.

Restricted Data: Describes the process at MIT for getting access to data sets and variables that data archives restrict for reasons of confidentiality.

When: Friday, March 2, 2-4 pm
Where: MIT GIS Lab

The US Census holds an enormous amount of demographic information gathered over a long period of time. New and interesting relationships can often times be observed when looking at census data on a map. Come learn about what’s in the US Census, and the tools available at MIT for mapping it including: Geolytics, Pcensus, and the new Census Tool built into the MIT Geodata Repository for ArcGIS. More information available on the GIS workshops webpage

Spring GIS Lab workshops

When: Friday, February 9, 12-1 pm
Where: MIT GIS Lab, Rotch Library, 7-238

We will explore the earth with Google Earth and World Wind - 2 freely available virtual globes. We will also explore KML (Keyhole Markup Language - the file format for Google Earth) and adding your own data into Google Earth. Registration not required, but seating is limited. For information about other upcoming GIS Lab workshops visit: http://libraries.mit.edu/gis/teach/spring2007.html

Where: MIT GIS Lab, Rotch Library, 7-238

Play with virtual globes like
Google Earth &
World Wind

Explore powerful geographic information systems (GIS), such as
ArcGIS and
PCI Geomatica

Investigate tools for mapping US Census and Demographic information such as
PCensus
Geolytics
Census Tool on the MIT Geodata Repository

Come meet the GIS staff from the MIT Libraries and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education over refreshments.

Learn about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and all the things you can map with it! Workshop descriptions available at: http://libraries.mit.edu/gis/teach/iap2007.html

GIS: ArcGIS I
Monday, Jan. 22, 2006 10:00-12:00, Location: MIT GIS Lab (7-238) (6 computers available)
Monday, Jan. 22, 2007 2:00-4:00pm, Location: 37-312 (20 computers available)

GIS: ArcGIS II
Tuesday, Jan. 23 10:00-12:00, Location: MIT GIS Lab (7-238)

GIS: Working with Digital Elevation Models
Tuesday, Jan. 23 2:00-4:00 pm, Location: MIT GIS Lab (7-238)

GIS: Site Selection - Making Spatial Decisions Using a GIS
Wednesday, Jan. 24 10:00-12, Location: MIT GIS Lab (7-238)

GIS: Working with US Census Data in a GIS
Wednesday, Jan. 24 2:00-4:00 pm, Location: MIT GIS Lab (7-238)

GIS: Using Network Analyst
Thursday, Jan. 25 10:00-12, Location: MIT GIS Lab (7-238)

GIS: Model Builder
Thursday, Jan. 25 2:00-4:00 pm, Location: MIT GIS Lab (7-238)

Did you know the MIT Libraries has Chinese census data, to the county level, from 2000 to 1953 in GIS format? We also have township level census data for 2000, as well as satellite imagery. It is now easier than ever to find these datasets on the MIT GIS lab website at: http://libraries.mit.edu/gis/data/findingaids/china.html

The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the world’s largest archive of digital social science data, is hosting two opportunities for undergraduate students to gain experience in working with their data:

1. The ICPSR Undergraduate Research Paper Competition will highlight the best undergraduate student research papers that use data from ICPSR.

   * Up to three cash prizes will be awarded. The winner will receive a monetary award of $1,000. Second place receives $750 and third place $500.
   * Deadline for submission is January 31, 2007.

2. The ICPSR Summer Undergraduate Internship Program will take place June 11-August 17, 2007.

   * Gain experience using statistical programs such as Stata, SAS, and SPSS.
   * Learn data processing skills to prepare social science data for archiving and distribution.
   * Deadline for application is January 5, 2007.

For more information on either of these programs, contact Katherine McNeill-Harman, Data Services and Economics Librarian, at mcneillh@mit.edu.

Come learn about doing spatial analysis and creating your own digital maps using GIS software and a variety of data held at MIT including aerial photography, census and topographic data. The MIT GIS Lab will be offering the following workshops this Fall, to help people get started using Geographic Information Systems (GIS):

* Introduction to ArcGIS
* Working with US Census Data in a GIS
* Where does water flow? – How to read topographic maps and work with Digital Elevation Models

All sessions will be held in the MIT GIS Lab (7-238). Times and more information are available at: http://libraries.mit.edu/gis/teach/fall2006.html

You will use a GPS (global positioning system) and your puzzle solving skills to work your way through the 12 clues and discover a hidden box of treasure. Each clue will help you discover places of information at MIT, while leading you virtually closer to MIT and surely closer to the treasure box. GPS units can be borrowed by the MIT community from Rotch Library (7-238). http://libraries.mit.edu/gis/geocache.html

Do you use statistical software packages, such as Stata, SAS, or SPSS? A new Statistical Consultant from the Harvard-MIT Data Center is now available to answer your questions about these packages and provide hands-on support. No need to struggle with the software on your own! The Consultant can help you learn how to use the programs, import and manage datasets, and perform statistical analysis and graphing. One Economics PhD student said: “I would absolutely recommend this service to other students. With the Consultant’s help I was able to work much more efficiently than I could have on my own.”

The Consultant now is available for one-on-one consultation by appointment at Dewey Library. To make an appointment or ask for tips on a project, email dataquest@help.hmdc.harvard.edu. For more information, see our page on the Statistical Consultant.

GIS classes introducing students to general and advanced concepts in visualizing and analyzing geographic information will be offered Jan. 24- Feb. 2. To see a class listing visit: http://libraries.mit.edu/gis/teach/iap2006.html. Students will learn to work with a variety of GIS tools and data types in these hands-on classes. Register now to guarantee a spot.

Ever wonder: Where you are? Where you are going? How you could record the geographic location of things? A Global Positioning System (GPS) can help you with all these things!

The MIT GIS Lab, a collaboration between the MIT Libraries and IS&T Academic Computing, have made GPS (Global Positioning Systems) available for checkout from the Rotch Library circulation desk. If you have questions email gishelp@mit.edu.