A major new collection of maps was formally presented to the Library's Geography and Map Division on Jan. 13 by Jack Dangermond, president of Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. (ESRI) of Redlands, Calif.
Containing approximately 3,000 items that were exhibited at the annual ArcInfo Users Conference from 1981 to 1992, the collection of unique maps provides an unparalleled record of the growth of geographic information systems (GIS) software and the ways in which geographers and cartographers have used this new technology to create maps to meet their specific needs.
On hand to accept the maps on behalf of the Library of Congress were Winston Tabb, associate librarian for Collections Services; Deanna Marcum, Director of Public Service and Collection Management I; and Ralph Ehrenberg, chief of the Geography and Map Division.
ESRI is one of the largest and oldest firms in the GIS industry. Its flagship software, ArcInfo, is a comprehensive suite of modules for encoding, managing, analyzing and displaying various types of geographic information.
"The cartographic information is the base," said Mr. Dangermond in explaining how ESRI developed the software. "The first stage was to create the software to enable us to automate the graphics, and then we added the measurements and characters that allow us to do analysis."
ArcInfo is now used throughout the world for such purposes as managing the infrastructures of towns and counties, for describing and analyzing environmental problems and for producing a variety of maps.
The annual ArcInfo Users Conference has become one of the largest professional gatherings of GIS professionals in the world. At the 1993 conference, some 3,000 people from as far away as Australia and India gathered to share their knowledge about ArcInfo software and to discuss geographic information systems in general. Only 11 people attended the first conference in 1981.
The highlight of the conference has always been the large exhibit area where ArcInfo users demonstrate the ways in which they use ESRI's software to solve their geographic information needs. The colorful map posters created for this exhibit comprise the basis of the collection donated to the Library of Congress.
Automated geographic information systems grew out of the way in which professionals in various fields actually use maps in their work. For decades, according to the Geography and Map Division's GIS specialist, Gary Fitzpatrick, it has been standard practice to reproduce maps on clear film so that they can be used as overlays. By using a separate overlay for each type of data, it was possible to use different combinations of overlays to study the relationship of specific pieces of information.
In an electronic environment, the overlays are emulated by storing different types of geographic information in separate layers. To create a map -- more accurately a data base -- of a particular area, layers can represent such features as roads, contour lines, streams, buildings, electric utilities, vegetation, soils or any other information desired.
A GIS can manipulate data as diverse as physical features, demographic statistics or business information. The key element in GIS is the geography layer, in which all other information is referenced. If a set of data has a geographic element among its components -- latitude and longitude, country or city name, zip code -- then it can be mapped and analyzed within a geographic information system.
"The maps in this collection are valuable," said Mr. Ehrenberg, "because they are unique treasures, the equivalent of the manuscript map of the 15th and 16th centuries. In addition, they represent the technology of GIS at a particular point in time."
Mr. Ehrenberg also pointed out that historically geographers used one set of rules to create the printed atlas, but with the use of GIS, today's cartographers can change the rules to reflect their own needs and to create the image that best conveys the story they want to tell.
The GIS industry is already a multibillion-dollar business, and American firms such as ESRI are playing a key role. American universities are also heavily involved in research in the theory and application of GIS.
As the custodian of more than 4 million maps dating from the 12th century, the Geography and Map Division is always seeking to acquire materials that document the history of cartography. The ArcInfo Map Collection not only illustrates the development of a major concept in geography and documents how users of GIS influenced the software products through their applications, but also shows the importance of American contributions to this new component of cartography and geography.
In 1992 the division expressed an interest in obtaining the materials exhibited at the ArcInfo Users Conference, and last November three pallets of material arrived from ESRI.
The ArcInfo Map Collection will be useful for researchers who want to explore trends and specific developments within GIS, and individual items within the collection will greatly augment the overall collections of the division because many of the thematic maps included are one-of-a-kind items that were never published in any other way.
The Geography and Map Division continues to be interested in adding to this collection with maps created by other ArcInfo users. For further information on donating such items to the Library of Congress, contact Gary Fitzpatrick at (202) 707-8543.
