Joining Alkek One’s Intro to StoryMapping workshop this week was really enlightening. The workshop led by Dr. Nathaniel Dede-Bamfo, GIS services specialist, opened my eyes to the software ArcGIS and how it can be used to not only create maps of your data but also to tell the story of your data.
Learning about ArcGIS
ArcGIS Online is available to all Texas State faculty, staff, and students and can be used as a way to connect people, locations, and data using interactive maps. I originally thought that ArcGIS was only used to create 2D or 3D maps, but you can actually build interactive maps that explain your data and encourage users to explore.
Visualizing your data
ArcGIS Online includes everything you need to create a web map, you have access to a gallery of base maps and smart styles to explore all the different ways you can visualize your data. It’s completely customizable and allows you to add images, videos, and even the ability to add landmarks to your maps.
Sharing and collaborating
It’s easy to share your work with others inside and outside your organization. You can set up groups that are private and by invitation only, or public groups that are open to everyone. You can also share maps by embedding them in web pages, blogs, and social media.
Alkek One’s workshops have exposed me to different ways I can expand my digital skills and knowledge and ArcGIS was definitely a software I had no prior involvement with. After this workshop, I learned how versatile a tool it is, and that it’s used for more than just making maps. Alkek One will be repeating this workshop and holding many more in the fall, so stay tuned!
StoryMaps combine narrative text, images, multimedia content, and maps to tell stories. GIS Services Specialist Nathaniel Dede-Bamfo shows Bobcats how to do this during @alkeklibrary‘s Intro to StoryMapping workshop! Check it out 👇👇#txst pic.twitter.com/Z3ZRUsYpGd
— DOIT (@TXST_DoIT) August 4, 2020
Chantal Lesley is a marketing and communications specialist student employee in the IT Marketing and Communications office.
