Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) Services

University of North Texas Libraries

Support and assistance related to Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) is a value-added service of the UNT Libraries. The GIS Librarian is available for individual or group assistance for the following tasks: locating and acquiring data, basic GIS software troubleshooting, identifying resources to facilitate learning and basic GIS instruction. Members from the greater DFW community are also invited to visit UNT to utilize the GIS resources available and to ask questions. UNT students, staff, faculty and community members are encouraged to contact gis@unt.edu with questions or to schedule assistance. For more information, check out the Mapping and GIS LibGuide.

Definition

“A Geographic Information System (GIS) lets us visualize, question, analyze, and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends.” For more information, please visit: http://www.esri.com/what-is-gis

Scope

This web page describes the policies governing the use of GIS software and services at the UNT Libraries.

**GIS Data Repository**

The first stage of the GIS Data Repository is now complete: an upload "form" for small files (those 20MB or less) is ready for use. Just click the link above, fill in the boxes, upload a zip file and it will be emailed to the GIS Librarian to begin the ingestion process. From there, metadata will be entered, using data from the form; from there, it will be uploaded to the UNT Digital Library for archival and public access. The next step will be to identify a way to upload larger files. As a reminder, this project is evolving and if you have feedback, please let us know! 

Software

The UNT Libraries provides access to ESRI ArcGIS through a site license held by the College of Arts and Sciences which is administered by the Geography Department. A valid EUID is required to access ESRI ArcGIS.

UNT also has access to Portal for ArcGIS, which is similar to ArcGIS Online, but for internal use. It also facilitates the downloading of data that is licensed or is only available to UNT students, staff and faculty. Please contact the GIS Librarian at gis@unt.edu for access; please use your official UNT email for Portal access requests to confirm your association with UNT.

Access to QGIS, a free open-source geographic information system, will be available at the Eagle Commons Library beginning in the Spring 2016 semester.

Software Use

Patrons wanting to access GIS in UNT libraries should know how to operate a PC and should have experience using GIS. Users may teach or familiarize themselves with GIS using self-instruction modules available from ESRI. One-on-one software training is beyond the scope of our services.

• Our public computers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Guest logins are available at designated machines.
• Files saved to the desktop are not backed up. Patrons are encouraged to use a flash drive, external hard drive, or cloud storage services. UNT Libraries are not responsible for lost data.
• Software and data may be licensed and subject to restrictions on who can use it and how it can be used.
• Due to license restrictions, Esri GIS software (available via UNT site license) is for non-commercial uses only.
• Some software and data resources may only be available to UNT students, faculty and staff.
• We ask that our patrons honor our license agreements with software and data vendors.

Additional Information

Large format printing for maps is available:

• Plotting maps/documents up to 24” is available at The Factory in Willis Library. See the following link for more details: http://www.library.unt.edu/services/factory
• Printing for dimensions exceeding 24” or for mounting prints on poster board will need to be done at one of the many private businesses near campus.

Community members visiting the UNT Libraries can access visitor parking information here: http://www.unt.edu/transit/visitor_info.html

Esri’s ArcGIS is not currently compatible with Mac OSX.

QGIS is compatible with both Windows and Mac OSX. For more details about QGIS, visit: http://www.qgis.org/en/site/

Paper maps may be checked out at the Eagle Commons Library for two-hour increments and must remain in the building. Maps are located in the grey shelving units next to the service desk. Other map collections are located at different library locations, including Special Collections - don't hesitate to ask questions if you are looking for a particular map! All other GIS related reference materials may be checked out depending on their circulation status. Most GIS/Geography books are located on the Mezzanine level at ECL.