igic.org

I’m very excited to announce that IGIC will have a 10 x 20 tent in the new Boy Scout Camp Area at this year’s Indiana State Fair. We plan to staff the IGIC booth from 10 am to 10 pm each day of the fair (17 days - Aug 6th thru Aug 22nd), so we are looking for IGIC volunteers to cover a variety of 4-hour shifts available each day.

IGIC board member Geoff Schomacker was instrumental in introducing IGIC to the Indiana State Fair Education Director -Justin Armstrong, and with his support we are looking forward to both this year’s fair and building an ongoing partnership between IGIC and the Indiana State Fair.

IGIC Board Member Kevin Mickey is leading our efforts to coordinate an Orienteering Activity and other GIS related activities to support the Boy Scouts at this year’s Indiana State Fair. IGIC’s tent (home base) for our Orienteering Activity and GIS information will be located in the NEW Boy Scout Camp area of the fairgrounds. Kevin is also working on an opportunity for IGIC to conduct several 15 minute live GIS demonstrations of the IndianaMap on the weekend of August 14th and 15th from the Boy Scouts Adventure Stage located in the Boy Scout Adventure Base. More information on this opportunity is still to come! We hope that all of these events will help us build an ongoing partnership between IGIC and the Boy Scouts.

IGIC is currently developing our State Fair Grounds orienteering map which will lead individuals to various points of interest around the fairgrounds that include natural, human and historical sites of interest. As much as possible, completion of the Orienteering Activity will meet one or more requirements of Scouting rank advancements and/or merit badges. Although the focus will be on supporting the Boy Scouts, this Orienteering Activity will be available to all State Fair attendees! IGIC Member Jim Stout from IMAGIS provided us with source data to help us make our map. Jill Saligoe-Simmel from mapdiva.com is creating IGIC’s orienteering map using her Ortelius Cartography software, and IGIC Member Kathy Kosenski from GENI is developing the orienteering points and clues.



Justin Armstrong has also offered IGIC the opportunity to demonstrate GIS and IndianaMap data on a touch screen kiosk located inside the Normandy Barn. The kiosk will be unmanned, so it will be difficult to present the IndianaMap using our current ArcIMS viewer technology. We are currently working with Rick Hill at the Indiana Geological Survey and ESRI to see if we can develop and stand up [a simple] ArcGIS Server viewing application running Silverlight in time for next month’s fair.

I want to thank everyone so far who have volunteered and participated in the planning of all these events!

Now comes the time for me to ask all IGIC Members to step up and volunteer to cover the 4-hour shifts during the fair. We need to put together our roster pretty quickly, as we have to get passes for our volunteers in advance. If you are not a member of IGIC and you want to help – Join Now! http://www.igic.org/membership/memberind.html It will only cost you $45 dollars to join IGIC today as an individual member for the remainder of 2010, and we can sure use your help!

IGIC volunteers will hand out the orienteering map/clue sheet, provide instructions on how the orienteering event works, provide instruction on map reading, and answer any questions about IGIC and the other displays in our booth. IGIC volunteers will also collect the finished map/clue sheet, and the participants (individual, group or team) with the most correct answers and the best time of completion will be posted on a board in the IGIC area of the Camp each day. Boy scouts returning their completed map to the IGIC booth will receive a signed and dated certificate of completion to provide to their Scout Master as documentation to support their rank advancement / merit badge efforts.

We will most likely NOT have electric power in the IGIC tent, so we are planning for static map displays and posters in the tent. Should we have power, IGIC will also bring a laptop and monitor to demonstrate the IndianaMap. I’m planning for static map and posters to cover topics like IGIC, the IndianaMap, GIO/IOT, IGS, UITS, GENI, GIS Day, Orienteering, and the USGS. Any input and help with this effort will be greatly appreciated.

Our goal is to have IGIC volunteers staff the booth from 10 am to 10 pm on each day of the 2010 Indiana State Fair (Aug 6th - Aug 22nd). We would like to have at least 2 people staffing the booth between 12 noon and 8 pm during the week days, and at least 3 people from 10 am to 10 pm on the weekends. We will also need extra help on the 14th and 15th with all of the extra Boy Scout activities that are planned.

I’ve set up a doodle poll for you to easily provide information about your availability - http://www.doodle.com/2fs5bxtgudy7p7yv. Please enter your full name in the poll and indicate all the times you could be available to work. Notice that the 4 hour shifts are staggered (and overlap) to better accommodate your work schedule. By filling out this poll, you ARE NOT volunteering for each time slot you check, you are only indicating your general availability. We will make a schedule from all of the availability information posted here. Please include any specific details about your availability by “Adding a Comment” to this poll. In your comment please let us know how many 4 hour sessions you are willing to work, and what if any date/time preferences you may have! Also please indicate if you can contribute a map/poster for IGIC to print, and also if you are willing to make one of the 15 minute presentations on August 14th or 15th (and on what topic).

We are very excited about this opportunity and look forward to your participation and help!

Contributed by: Rex Jones, President/CEO, WTH Technology, Inc.

WTH Technology, Inc. is pleased to announce that Think GIS® Version 4.26 is now available. Version 4.26 includes all of the same user-friendly options that you have come to expect from Think GIS®, but it will also provide more options for easier searching and clearer search result displays. The new version of Think GIS® includes the following enhancements:

Search Box
Type an address or intersection into the new search box and press Enter. Also works for vehicle ID's, parcel owner names, or any text from any field of any layer.

Information Window
Most of the information that used to popup in various windows is now consolidated into a single location called the Information Window. Now you can read the information you requested even as you continue to navigate the map. Now view feature details by simply single clicking on a feature on the map. Click on another feature without having to close the first window. Details are displayed here for address search results. This new window works great in combination with the new Search Box. Multiple search results are listed here for you to scroll through.

Weather Radar
View live weather radar including tornado, flood, and severe thunderstorm warnings. Use the Tools - Import/Export - Import Weather Image menu to pick from one of hundreds of dynamic feeds. Images update about once every 5 or 10 minutes as the weather service makes them available. Turn the layer on or off just like any other layer. Place it on top of or behind other layers.

More Information
For more information click here to view a web page with more information on these features - Webpage. Think GIS® 4.26 will be available for download by existing customers on Tuesday, June 8th. In order to receive this upgrade simply open Think GIS® and clicking on File, then Synchronize Files.

For more information or questions concerning this latest version of Think GIS®, please feel free to call 888.225.5984 Toll Free.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then is a map is worth a thousand opinions! There were already 65 opinions posted when I published this, and a number of them address issues with the map!

Click on the link below to read this story by Seth Slabaugh, Muncie Star Press, from May 17, 2010, as well as the interesting comments posted on-line.
http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201005170317/NEWS01/5170301

Contributed by: Jim Stout, IMAGIS Program Manager

WASHINGTON -- Eleven questions that should shape the next decade of geographical sciences research were identified today in a new report by the National Research Council. Reflecting a time when populations are moving and natural resources are being depleted, the questions aim to provide a more complete understanding of where and how landscapes are changing to help society manage and adapt to the transformation of Earth's surface.

The committee that wrote the report solicited input from the geographical science community to identify research priorities and the approaches, skills, data, and infrastructure necessary to advance research. The strategic directions span from overarching issues of environmental change and sustainability to specific areas in the field that are transforming. They are grouped by topic area, but are not ranked in any order of importance.

How to understand and respond to environmental change:
· How are we changing the physical environment of Earth's surface?
· How can we best preserve biological diversity and protect endangered ecosystems?
· How are climate and other environmental changes affecting the vulnerabilities of coupled human-environment systems?

How to promote sustainability:
· Where and how will 10 billion people live?
· How will we sustainably feed everyone in the coming decade and beyond?
· How does where we live affect our health?

How to recognize and cope with the rapid spatial reorganization of economy and society:
· How is the movement of people, goods, and ideas changing the world?
· How is economic globalization affecting inequality?
· How are geopolitical shifts influencing peace and stability?

How to leverage technological change for the benefit of society and environment:
· How might we better observe, analyze, and visualize a changing world?
· What are the societal implications of citizen mapping and mapping citizens?

The report was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, National Geographic Society, and Association of American Geographers. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are independent, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under an 1863 congressional charter. Committee members, who serve pro bono as volunteers, are chosen by the Academies for each study based on their expertise and experience and must satisfy the Academies' conflict-of-interest standards. The resulting consensus reports undergo external peer review before completion. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org/studycommitteprocess.pdf. A committee roster follows.

Copies of Understanding the Changing Planet: Strategic Directions for the Geographical Sciences are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above). $33 for PDF Download

From the oceans to continental heartlands, human activities have altered the physical characteristics of Earth's surface. With Earth's population projected to peak at 8 to 12 billion people by 2050 and the additional stress of climate change, it is more important than ever to understand how and where these changes are happening. Innovation in the geographical sciences has the potential to advance knowledge of place-based environmental change, sustainability, and the impacts of a rapidly changing economy and society.

Understanding the Changing Planet outlines eleven strategic directions to focus research and leverage new technologies to harness the potential that the geographical sciences offer.

To: Indiana’s GIS Community
From: Kevin Mickey, Indiana State Fair Subcommittee Chair

I am writing to share some exciting news as well as to offer you an opportunity to participate in an important new collaboration that is anticipated to significantly enhance awareness of IGIC and the IndianaMap in the State of Indiana. The Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC) has partnered with the Boy Scouts of America and the Indiana State Fair to offer a series of activities at the 2010 State Fair that will be taking place from August 6 to August 22.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Scouting in the United States and in recognition of this important event the State Fair has agreed to the construction of a permanent Scout Camp exhibit at the Fairgrounds. In addition, on selected days during the Fair the Scouts will have an additional presence in several areas of the Fairgrounds including Main Street. Many of the activities that Scouts promote are directly related to the work that we do in the GIS community. Examples include orienteering, geocaching, environmental management, and much more.

IGIC has been invited to have a presence in the Scout Camp throughout the entire Fair in 2010 and, depending on the success of our efforts this year, to possibly having a permanent presence at the Fair. While we are still working out the details of our 2010 program, ideas currently being explored include developing an adventure activity that leads people around the Fairgrounds to learn about Indiana Agriculture, wildlife, science, etc and then has them come back to the BSA Scout Camp area to learn about Scouting. One possible element of this experience might include viewing the IndianaMap to see where Scout units are located around the state. We could also develop one or more activities that integrate various types of Scout craft (orienteering, map reading, plant identification, etc.) Scouts that complete these activities could earn credit for merit badge requirements. Another thought is that we could provide demonstrations on topics, tools, and skills that have relevance to GIS and geography as well as to Scouts. These demos could include how to use a GPS unit, how to do geocaching, etc. and could be offered both in the Scout Camp and in the Adventure Base area.

The value to IGIC in being involved in this collaboration is clear. This will provide us with an opportunity to show those that we serve what the value of GIS is to them on a practical level. Not only do we have the potential to reach thousands of Indiana citizens, it is also reasonable to expect that many local politicians and members of the media will also have an opportunity to visit with IGIC members and to hear about what our work means to them.

The key to making this initiative a success is securing enough volunteers to staff the different activities. At minimum, IGIC volunteers (members and others) will need to be onsite during the three weekends that the Fair is taking place. Those dates are August 7/8, August 14/15, and August 21/22. August 15 is an especially critical day since that is the official Scout Day at the Fair. On that day there will be three different sites where Scouting is being promoted and where IGIC has been invited by the BSA to be present. Those areas include (a) Main Street (b) the Scout Camp and (c) the Adventure Base area by the Free Stage on the west side of the track. As an FYI – Adventure Base is a traveling 10,000 square foot exhibit that promotes Scouting. In addition to the weekend dates, we are also strongly encouraged to have a presence on a least one weekday – more if possible.

Now to the opportunity! In order to make this program a success we need your help. If you are willing to donate a few hours of your time on one or more days of the Fair to staff one of the IGIC exhibits or to do demonstrations, please contact Janet Tomlin at jtomlin@igic.org or 317-489-0091 no later than May 17, 2010. We encourage you to spend a few hours helping out with the IGIC activities and then spend the remainder of your day with your family and friends enjoying the delights of the Indiana State Fair. If you have questions about this information or ideas about activities that you would like to share, please contact the IGIC Indiana State Fair Subcommittee Chair, Kevin Mickey, at kmickey@iupui.edu or 317.371.4479.

Contributed by: Jim Sparks, State of Indiana Geographic Information Officer

I had the great pleasure recently to address Michigan’s GIS community about the amazing progress that we are making in Indiana. I also spent a little time on the subject of GIS funding. In particular, I noted the disparity between the amount of data that is created at the local level and the richness of detail of that data, with the funding that is dedicated to GIS. More detail is created at the local level than the state. More is created at the state level than at the Federal level. Likewise, the richness of the data is greatest at the base of the pyramid and less at the top. Unfortunately, the amount of federal funding dedicated to GIS is inverted, and does not match reality.

Which of the following shapes does not match the others?

I think we are all aware of the large amount of money that is spent at the federal level on geospatial activities. How about diverting a few percent from the federal pot to the local level in support of GIS? “Righting” the upside-down funding pyramid will go a long way toward facilitating a true national map in which local data rolls up to the state and state data rolls up to the national level. In this way, the very best geospatial data would be available to all.
To that end, IGIC and the Geographic Information Office are advocating at every opportunity for an improved and more realistic configuration of the three Great Pyramids of Geologia!

Contributed by: Carol Rogers, Deputy Director and CIO of the Indiana Business Research Center, Indiana University

Director of the U.S. Census Bureau Dr. Robert Groves announced the final 2010 Census mail participation rates on April 28: http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=68805

Indiana Rocks
With a national participation rate at 72%, Indiana's participation in this phase of the census was excellent, finishing is the top 3, with 78% of Hoosier Households sending in their census forms. In the top 50 places in the U.S., Carmel, IN came in 5th and Clay Township came in 6th, both with an 85% response rate.

We are now entering the census phase known as Non-Response Follow-Up. This phase involves trying to account for the roughly 48 million households across the U.S. that did not mail back their Census form. The Census Bureau will be sending approximately 635,000 census takers out to count these non-responding households.

WHAT INFORMATION ARE WE COLLECTING? 10 questions isn’t going to yield much data...
- Total population (by age, by race, by sex)
- Living in housing units (owned or rented) or in group quarters( dorms, nursing homes, jails, prisons)

But, the data collected from the Census in 2010 will provide critical benchmarks of...
- HOW MANY live in our jurisdictions
- How MANY homes, institutions and structures are there and where are they

So when will be see the results of the 2010 Census? Here is a broad timeline...
- 2010 – By law, the Census Bureau must deliver the national and state counts to the President by the end of the year
- 2011 - P.L.94-171 files (so-called) will be delivered to Indiana by March 2011 (IBRC will make these data available ASAP after delivery.)
- 2011 through 2012 - a variety of statistical products and geo-products will be released.

To view an interactive map to see how your local community did, click here - http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/