This publication aims to give insight into emerging trends, issues, and concerns relating to geographic information systems. It begins with a succinct overview of the background and results of the survey. This overview is also available in a series of stand‐alone flyers, to which one can subscribe annually. The flyer (SPEC Flyer 238) is followed by a cover letter and full list of institutions responding to the survey. The questionnaire itself is included, with the total responses shown for each item. Pages 14 to 32 are simply taken straight from Web pages and include the index page for the GIS Literacy Project, a text overview of the project itself and list of participants, together with four examples of university GIS service‐related Web sites. Finally, there is a list of books, journal articles, and Web sites for those interested in exploring this topic further. The authors only compiled the kit; thus one should not expect an in‐depth commentary or analysis of survey findings. If this is a kit, an active tool, then it is one to prompt thinking, to identify some aspects of a library management concern that is going to grow.
For the purposes of the survey, GIS was defined as “people using computer hardware, software, and peripheral technology to collect, manipulate, analyse and display geo‐referenced data”. It is noted that library patrons can create new electronic maps, query a database, create statistics, and save the information in a variety of electronic or print forms. An increasing amount of this kind of information is being deposited in special libraries. However, there is a catch – to offer an effective service, librarians need technological skills and familiarity with new forms of data retrieval and manipulation.
The ARL Geographic Information Systems Literacy Project was begun in 1992 to provide professional development in this area. The survey results compiled by Davie, Fox, and Preece assess progress, examining the role of libraries in delivering GIS services, academic training and preparation of staff involved, the equipment needed to support the service, and the nature of the service offered to library patrons, together with description of those users.
The key issues result from the fact that GIS services in libraries are not subject‐based like other services. Instead they are highly technical, interdisciplinary and incredibly varied. Not surprisingly, the survey showed that “except for the specialist in a discipline, self‐service in GIS is usually not adequate” and “providing satisfactory results for GIS users requires more knowledge and time than librarians are asked to provide by most other patrons”.
As patrons become aware of such services and experience the power they offer in research and problem solving, one can imagine pressures on library resources rising rapidly. The range of associated issues will need further research.
