Envisioning a Geospatial Data Portal and Curation Network

Local, state and federal agencies, as well as non-governmental agencies and a variety of researchers are producing geospatial data in increasing amounts. Libraries are challenged to collect, manage and provide discovery to this variety of geospatial data. This work requires both technical infrastructure and personal expertise. University libraries are curating and storing locally created geospatial data at various levels, however, there are no coordinated efforts across the state of Texas to curate, store, nor share out the data. This panel will explore the multifaceted issues surrounding geospatial data curation, including:

• What are the current local efforts to curate, store and share data?

• What technical options exist for a collaborative data preservation and discovery environment (i.e. data portal)?

• What skills and expertise are required?

• What metadata standards are being followed?

• What costs and benefits are there to a coordinated approach?

• How might TDL serve to facilitate this endeavor?

• How might a collective/common data portal support GIS services across TDL libraries?

This panel will include GIS librarians / data managers who will share their experiences and challenges in an effort to begin conversations to create a state-wide geospatial data portal. Each panelist will present a ten minute briefing on the GIS data and services provided through their library and describe their campus environment, including any challenges or gaps they have found which impede meeting patron requests. Each will share ideas on what possible improvements may exist and what collaborative role TDL may play. The panelists will encourage wide audience engagement in question and answer and discussions during the second half of the allotted panel time.