Mapping NASA Space Science Resources: Building a Locator Tool for the Education Community

Author: Michael Craig Anthony
Organization: SouthEast Regional ClearingHouse

College of Charleston
66 George Street
Charleston, SC 29401
USA

Phone: 843.953.7852
Fax: 843.953.7850
anthonym@cofc.edu

NASA originates and maintains a wealth of space science information for the education community. These resources are sometimes difficult to locate due to the shear breadth of the NASA organization and the volume of material it generates. To facilitate the search for space science resources, the SouthEast Regional ClearingHouse (SERCH) developed a MapObjects Internet Map Server (IMS) application, SERCH US. SERCH saw the need to organize, compile, and map certain data sets that would help teachers and others in the education community to quickly find valuable information. Our current IMS application allows the user to enter a ZIP Code, zoom into the designated area, display numerous data layers, identify geographic points of interest, and obtain detailed resource and contact information. This paper discusses the development and implementation of SERCH's resource locator tool, data management issues, user-friendly interface design, and future plans for development.