RUSA’s History Section co-sponsored two programs with the Map and Geospatial Information Round Table (MAGIRT) at ALA Annual in Chicago, and they were very enthusiastically received. Informative and useful, they consisted of a panel of three presenters, followed by a tutorial. Panel members from New York Public Library, the Newberry Library and FindMyPast (a genealogical company) discussed community mapping programs at the libraries, and presented a variety of reference resources. During the tutorial, explicit instructions were demonstrated in real time about how to “warp” and annotate a digital map with family history images and links. The programs were well-attended with about 85 people at each session, and they were among the best programs I have attended at Annual. Thank you so much for your support!
There is a “community” on ALA Connect containing information about the programs , along with several files of slides and handouts. The “map warper” handout by Ryan Mattke is especially helpful; it details step-by-step instructions on how to georeference and upload a digital map. The contents of this community are available to all current ALA members.
The name of the community is: MAGIRT Programs – Mapping the Generations. To easily find this web page in ALA Connect, use the search box in the upper right corner and enter “mapping the generations.” To view detailed information about the program and the presenters, scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Maps and Family History.”