For over two decades, Mann Library’s online collection of free and open-access geospatial data for New York State—known as CUGIR, or, the Cornell University Geospatial Information Repository—has served analysts, policy makers and citizen scientists across New York and the world. A recent CUGIR redesign has made finding and downloading geospatial data from the site ever easier. Also new and particularly important for GIS-focused scholarship at Cornell and beyond: CUGIR is now designed to accept geospatial data gathered by Cornell researchers doing work not just in New York State but anywhere in the world.
In a nutshell, the new CUGIR site offers the following improvements:
- A powerful new discovery interface for finding and downloading a wide variety of geospatial data—including data on topography, soils, agriculture, environment;
- Ease of use even for non-GIS experts, who can now much more handily explore data overlaid on a map and retrieve information for specific features;
- Sharing of worldwide geospatial data gathered by Cornell researchers, who will find in CUGIR a good place to store their data safely and make it accessible to the rest of the world.
With over 1700 data downloads a week, CUGIR is already one of Mann’s most heavily used online resources. We think these changes will make it even more popular and useful to many professions and fields, not just the GIS aficionados among us. But don’t just take our word. Our “What’s Cooler @ CUGIR” demo on April 19th will offer a close up look at how the improved site works. Refreshments will be provided—quite in line, we think, with the refreshing new CUGIR experience!