University of Waterloo Library : Using GIS for Managing Information

Using GIS for Managing Information :

Keeping Track of your Records

Eva Dodsworth, Geospatial Data Services Librarian

Why Use GIS?

A Geographical Information System displays information about the earth in a visual format – ‘what is where’

Studying information visually provides spatial awareness that otherwise isn’t apparent in text or tabular form

How is GIS used?

Utility Companies – gas, phone, electricity, water, cable Location of underground pipes, transformers, poles and customers

Transportation – Ministry of Transportation – inventory of highway signs, state of

pavement Delivery Companies – GPS system in cars for finding locations, tracking

shipments

Farmers - plan location of crops, plan application of fertilizers, chemicals

Forestry Industry - tracking timber growth, plan methods of cutting and removing logs

Cemeteries – Keep track of occupied and vacant lots, names of buried

Surveys – tracking spending habits of neighbourhoods

How Can we Use GIS?

How do we take our own information and utilize it in a GIS?

What we need: Information in a tabular format Geographical Information GIS program

Mapping our Records

Scenario : Create a map of my neighbours that includes historical owner information

1. Enter the information into a database – i.e. Excel Be sure to include street name & number, address, city,

province Make sure there are no spaces in between words in the

column heading (Postal_Code, not Postal Code)

Mapping our Records

2. Use geocoding program to determine latitude (x) and longitude (y)http://www.batchgeocode.com/

Mapping our Records Select the records in your database file, copy them and

paste them into batchgeocode’s empty table

(Ctrl C)

(Ctrl V)

Run Geocoder

• Latitude and Longitude are now displayed• You can view the results in the map provided

You can paste the results back into your Excel file Save the Excel file as a .csv format Open the file in a GIS program such as ArcMap

Mapping your Records

For further and more permanent use, convert the file to KML to be used in Google Earth or GIS programs that will open KML files

Mapping Records

Mapping records that don’t have address info:

You can use spatial information to determine latitude and longitude

http://www.gorissen.info/Pierre/maps/googleMapLocation.php

Mapping your Records

Mapping your Records

Scenario : Create a map of my weekly outings

1. Enter the information into a database – i.e. Excel

Mapping your Records

Add additional columns for latitude and longitude (leave them blank for now).

We now need to find the latitude and longitude using the handy online finder

http://www.gorissen.info/Pierre/maps/googleMapLocation.php

Mapping your Records

Navigate around the map using satellite imagery if you like, to help you locateeach geographical area in your Excel file.

Click with your mouse button for latitude and longitude output.

Mapping your Records

Add the Lat/Long to your Excel file.

Save as a .CSV – Comma Separated Value

Mapping your Records

You may use a GIS program to map your record – to perform queries

You may convert your table to a kml file for Google Earth use.

Conversion to KML for GE

This handy website will convert your table to KML format for Google Earth usage :

http://www.earthpoint.us/ExcelToKml.aspx

Other levels of geography

Geocode using other geographical information:Postal codeCensus track

Adding a common field in your table and joining with other information expands information greatly

Adding additional information into the GIS program

Income Averages

Percentage of children ages 5-9

As simple as a Postal Code...