Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

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 Geographic Information Systems

Data Collections

Federal -- State & Local -- Health Resources

Collections at VCU Libraries

VCU Libraries owns many spatial and numerical data sets, most of which are produced by the Federal government on CD-ROM or a similar format. Use the VCU Libraries Catalog to search the collection. Search tip: You may want to use the Advanced Search option and limit the format to Computer Software to find the majority of these data sets.

Data Resources Available Online

Current editions of many of the data sets available at VCU Libraries are now available online. Sources for these data collections include:

Federal Data

• Geodata.gov
  One-stop portal for Federal, state, and local geographic data.
• U.S. Census Bureau
  Census data including public-use microdata samples, TIGER files, and information from the Economic Census.
• FEMA Mapping and Analysis Center
  A variety of mapping products are available, including image data from hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Rita. Use the Remote Sensing Information link to access zip files for use with GIS software.
• National Geophysical Data Center
  The NGDC, part of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the national repository for geophysical data. Its archive includes land, marine, satellite, snow & ice, and solar-terrestrial data.
• National Geodetic Survey
  NOAA's National Geodetic Survey defines and manages a national coordinate system. Aeronautical, GPS, and other data are available through the Products & Services link.
• Serial Set Maps VCU
  These maps are a part of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set.  Dates range from the late 1600s up to 1939.  You can download these maps in Tagged Image File Format
• USGS Geographic Data Download
  U.S. Geological Survey data files for use with GIS software. Also includes links to public domain software that can be used for viewing certain files.

State & Local Data

• USDA National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) data @ VCU
  Zipped data created from NAIP Quarter Quadrangles available for selected counties.
• Chesapeake Bay Program CIMS Data Hub
  A listing of databases that provide various types of data related to the Chesapeake Bay. Data search results are in downloadable, tab- or comma-delimited text file format.
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) GIS Datasets
  Zipped datasets available, with coverage ranging from golf courses to schools to fire & rescue facilities.
• Virginia GIS Data at the Geospatial and Statistical Data Center
  Links to Virginia resources, including digital elevation models (DEMs), Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangles (DOQQs), and Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs), as well as help pages for these resources. All datasets that do not feature the UVa-only icon are available for public use.
• Virginia GIS Data Layers
  This extensive listing of agencies and institutions with digitized data is from a Web site developed for a geography course at George Mason University. The site is only partially complete, but still has a wealth of information.

Health Resources and Data

• TOXMAP
  A geographic information system from the Division of Specialized Information Services of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory.
• National Center for Health Statistics
  Access to a variety of public-use data files, including natality and mortality data, hospital surveys, and longitudinal studies. Scroll down to the Micro-data Access section for more information.
• National Center for Health Statistics GIS and Public Health
  Designed to provide information on GIS at NCHS and in the larger public health community.
• ESRI GIS for Health and Human Services
  Includes demos, literature, and links to research that has incorporated GIS in the study of public health.
• World Health Organization Public Health Mapping and GIS
  Information regarding WHO's promotion and implementation of GIS to support decision-making for a wide range of infectious disease and public health programs.
• GIS at the National Cancer Institute
  A Web site supported by the NCI for use by the public, cancer researchers, and the GIS Special Interest Group.