O'Malley Library: DAsH: GIS & Mapping

What is it?

GIS or Geographic Information Services, allow you to place and analyze information spatially. You may be creating a map to visualize information to make historical or social science more tangible to the viewer. You may also be mapping your data to look for patterns that would only be visible on a map.

Map Programs

ArcGIS (MC Students, Faculty or Staff)
Use this link to get to IT's Knowledgebase guide on how to access to Manhattan College's licenses into ArcGIS. It is also available on computers on the first floor of the library.
ArcGIS
The industry standard, a very useful but complex tool. You can sign up for a free trial or limited online-only account for ArcGIS. We also offer it at the computer lab on the first floor in the library.
HistoryPin
Create mobile-accessible maps where you can pin photos and/or stories to a location and time.
Neatline
An add-on tool for Omeka that allows users to create timelines and maps as part of their storytelling. However, it doesn't allow for analytics or export of data, so better as a display option rather than long-term GIS projects
OpenStreetMap
Free mapping service that is maintained by a user community
QGIS
Open source GIS program. Less user-friendly but free and with a robust user community

Map Sources

NYC OpenData
Source for public data generated by NYC agencies. Includes data on business, government, education, health, housing, public safety, transportation and more.
DATA.GOV
Data.gov is an online portal to share data from various government agencies, which can be downloaded and manipulated for public use and re-use. Data.gov enables the public to download datasets to conduct analysis, build web applications, and conduct research.
Bytes of the Big Apple
Software, data and geographic base map files created by the Department of City Planning
GIS.NY.GOV
New York State's collection of data for maps by county.
TIGER/Line Demographic maps
The US Census Bureau's site offering shapefiles containing census and community survey demographic and economic data.

Historical Map Resources

Library of Congress: Cities and Towns
Maps collected by the Library of Congress that record the evolution of cities.
Library of Congress: Panoramic Maps
The Library of Congress's collection of bird's eye view maps of cities, a popular method of cartography in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Library of Congress: Transportation and Communication
The Library of Congress's collection of maps of transportation and communication systems on national, state, and local levels.
NYPL's Digital Collections: Maps
A valuable resource for historical maps of all kinds
Old Maps Online
A collaboration between Klokan Technologies and the Great British Historical GIS project this site indexes over 400,000 maps from various archives and libraries onto the world map.
Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
From the University of North Texas, maps digitized from their collection as well as links to other maps of interest.