Tag Archives: USGS

National Geographic enables free 8×11 printing of USGS topos

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Here are some useful USGS map tips from Emily Wild, Hydrologist/Librarian at the USGS:

This may be of interest if you and(or) your library users are looking for an easy-to-use tool to search, download, and easily print (by using 8×11 printer) for topographic maps published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

– Examples of recent USGS Denver Library inquiries and instruction of USGS topographic maps include, but not limited to: outdoor recreation, emergency management, disaster planning, search and rescue, bureau of investigations searches and(or) instruction, military, educational outreach, citizen science, and so on.
– Go to the “FREE!! Printable USGS PDF Quads” web site available from National Geographic:

http://www.natgeomaps.com/trail-maps/pdf-quads

– Search selected area

– Click on thumbnail image of the USGS topographic map to open pdf

– Download and(or) print the pages,

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Just some quick reminders about features available for using USGS Topographic Maps:

– USGS Topographic Maps can be uploaded into Google Earth by using this USGS National Geologic Map Data Base (NGMDB) access point to search, download, and import the KMZ files : http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/maps/TopoView/

– The geopdf versions of USGS Topographic Maps can be annotated, measured, etc when users download the free TerraGo Toolbar : http://info.terragotech.com/download/terrago-toolbar

– Library users mention that the transparency feature and snapshot of all USGS topographic maps through time for a point on Earth are useful features in the USGS-ESRI’s “USGS Historical Topographic Map Explorer”

http://historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs/

– the how-to is available online through GPO at : http://www.fdlp.gov/all-newsletters/community-insights/2045-tricks-and-tips-for-finding-and-using-usgs-topographic-maps

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And as an aside, many library users still find this map source useful for historical research of the United States :

Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States

http://dsl.richmond.edu/historicalatlas

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Enjoy the day/weekend,

Emily

Disclaimer: the use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Emily C. Wild

Librarian (Physical Scientist)
U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Library
Denver Federal Center
ph: (303) 236-1003
ecwild@usgs.gov

USGS Libraries: http://library.usgs.gov

Training: http://go.usa.gov/cBfmG

Profile: https://profile.usgs.gov/ecwild

USGS publications — 80% are online!

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At a  meeting of the Geosciences Information Society at the GSA Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC, in early November, 2012.  This milestone was announced by Richard Huffine, the Library Director of the USGS.   He further said that the Open File Reports is the main series not complete yet.

Here is the link to an information session he gave in August, 2012:  “Information Resources from the U. S.  Geological Survey”:

 http://www.slideshare.net/richardhuffine/usgs-info-resources-gpo-aug-2012

NBII To Be Taken Offline Permanently January 15, 2012

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“In recent years, however, the NBII–like so many other important federal programs–was plagued with budget cuts. The FY 2012 budget mandated its termination. The main Web site, www.nbii.gov, will be taken offline on January 15, 2012, along with all of its associated node sites.

The NBII provided three main benefits to the biological resource community. First, its design as a federation of partners allowed it to assist data owners in maintaining critical assets that might not otherwise be made broadly available; second, scientists, managers, and others searching for data on a particular subject could do so from a single, Web-based source rather than having to go to the sites of numerous organizations to compile the results they sought; and third, the NBII provided users with direct access to many data resources that are deeply embedded in structured databases on the Web and that are relevant to biology–resources that would not be revealed to them using a standard search engine such as Google.

USGS staff now are working with partners to identify ways that–to the extent possible–will help to fill the gap in data access that will be created when the NBII goes offline.”

To read more about the National Biological Information Infrastructure, here’s a link from which the above quote was taken:

http://www.usgs.gov/core_science_systems/Access/p1111-1.html

A Postscript:

“The Library of Congress is a part of a collaborative web archive project to archive U.S. Federal Government Websites, and this site has been crawled by the Internet Archive as a part of that project. It is not publicly accessible yet but it has been preserved.

 

Since we’re a part of the collaborative project, we’ll eventually get a copy of that capture for the Library of Congress archives.”

 

/mrc (Margaret Clifton, mcli@loc.gov)

 

OSTI, the science & technology portal of the U.S. Government

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OSTI, the Office of Science and Technology Information is worth bookmarking.  It serves as a portal for most of the federal goverment’s information, reports and data for 18 agencies:

Agriculture,Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health & Human Services, Interior, Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, Library of Congress, National Aeronautics & Space Administration, National Archives & Records Adminstration, National Science Foundation, and the US Government Publications Office.

Terminology and thesauri might help in your information searches.

This site is a gateway to DOE collections at ScienceAccelerator.gov, global science via WorldWideScience.org, scientific research data as an open government initiative, and the OSTIblog.

Much of this, they declare, is outside Google’s purview — in the “deep web.”

NBII — National Biological Information Infrastructure — new look, more functional searching

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"The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) has updated its search engine to search multiple databases at the same time, and now also returns clustered results. You can try it at NBII.gov. "

Source: ResearchBuzz, 9/3/09

From "About" NBII :

The NBII Program is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Informatics Office, and "is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation’s biological resources. The NBII links diverse, high-quality biological databases, information products, and analytical tools maintained by NBII partners and other contributors in government agencies, academic institutions, non-government organizations, and private industry. NBII partners and collaborators also work on new standards, tools, and technologies that make it easier to find, integrate, and apply biological resources information. Resource managers, scientists, educators, and the general public use the NBII to answer a wide range of questions related to the management, use, or conservation of this nation’s biological resources."

U.S. Geological Survey adopting Vivisimo to improve NBII search platform

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The U.S. Geological Survey has chosen Vivisimo, a provider of enterprise search software and expertise, to provide its website users data and information from a number of biological data sources. Vivisimo Velocity Search Platform will replace the USGS’ National Biological Information Infrastructure’s (NBII) search solution and provide a single search interface. NBII is a collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on biological resources. The program works with various federal, state, non-profit, and educational institutions. The Velocity implementation will initially search 30 data sources across multiple agencies and universities. Velocity will also enable geospatial display of search results – allowing users to search for certain plants or animals in a specific region or location. USGS will also incorporate Velocity’s new conceptual search to take advantage of its extensive and authoritative Biocomplexity Thesaurus.

Source: E-Content Magazine (ECXtra) April 17, 2009.