Abstract

Paper
OCUL's Geospatial Portal: Supporting Research and Teaching in Ontario, Canada
Track: Using GIS in Libraries and Museums
Authors: Leanne Hindmarch, Dan Jakubek

The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is a consortium of twenty-one university libraries in the province of Ontario, Canada, that collaborates through collective purchasing and shared digital information infrastructure. OCUL's Geospatial and Health Informatics Cyberinfrastructure Project ("Geospatial Portal" for short) is a new project to create a data storage and discovery tool intended to improve access to geospatial and health data for Ontario researchers and students. Our vision includes the provision of tools for identifying, exploring, and downloading licensed geospatial data, as well as collaboration and teaching tools. In Fall 2011, OCUL will be launching its first release of the geospatial portal, which will make use of ESRI's ArcGIS Server platform. This session will provide a preview of the portal, demonstrating the available tools. The session will also discuss the expected impact of the portal at Ontario universities, assessment plans, and future development goals.