A GIS (geographic information system) is a framework for understanding our world and applying geographic knowledge to solve problems and guide human behavior.
Although you may not be aware of it, GIS touches our lives daily. It is used throughout the world to solve problems related to the environment, health care, land use, business efficiency, education, and public safety. The power supply directed to homes, the patrol cars and fire trucks that keep neighborhoods safe, and the delivery trucks on the road all function more efficiently because of GIS. This technology can also help businesses place ATMs and restaurants at more convenient locations, allow people to pull maps off the Internet, and help farmers grow more crops with less chemicals.
Most recently we have seen how GIS technology can be used to aid Homeland Security initiatives, map the debris field following the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, and monitor the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The applications of GIS technology are endless, limited only by the imagination of its users. From border patrol agents to doctors, and from federal agency employees to local city planners, people in nearly every profession all over the world are reaping the benefits of this extraordinary technology.
"The application of GIS is limited only by the imagination of those who use it."
Jack Dangermond, President of ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.)
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Getting to know ArcGIS Desktop: Basics of ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo / Tim Ormsby... [et al.]
Redlands, Calif. : ESRI Press, 2004 G70.212.G489 2004 |
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Mastering ArcGIS / Maribeth Price
Dubuque, IA : McGraw-Hill, 2006 G70.212.P75 2006 |
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GIS Tutorial : Workbook for ArcView 9 / Wilpen L. Gorr, Kristen S. Kurland
Redlands, Calif. : ESRI Press, 2005 G70.212.G74 2005 |
Link to Scotty search of GIS books in the Science Library .
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