GIS Day is an international celebration of GIS and the power of geography. In the spirit of GIS Day, my colleagues and I at the Towson University Center for GIS are excited to present a GIS tools webpage for the TU community. The page focuses on GIS software that’s available to TU students, faculty and staff; how to access it; and some training and data resources for getting started. We hope this resource can help make GIS more accessible on campus, and that GIS can be used to enhance research, academic experiences, and campus operations for the TU community.

Here’s what you’ll find on our Towson University GIS Tools website:

  • How to access ArcGIS Online and other browser-based GIS applications. ArcGIS Online is a brower-based mapping platform, which means no install needed. Maps created in ArcGIS Online can be used in a variety of other applications such as StoryMaps and the mobile Field Maps application.
  • How to access desktop GIS software like ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap. Desktop GIS software is more robust than online tools, but also has a steeper learning curve. If you’re just getting started with GIS and your needs can’t be met with ArcGIS Online, we recommend starting out with ArcGIS Pro.
  • Resources for GIS software training from Esri and MD iMAP. Esri offers a wide variety of training course and tutorials for their ArcGIS suite of products. MD iMAP hosts Maryland-specific GIS training for ArcGIS Online, as well as using Maryland LiDAR topography services and adding high resolution imagery to CADD software.
  • A few open data sources and how to access Esri sample galleries for inspiration in creating StoryMaps and other interactive map-centric applications with Web AppBuilder and Experience Builder.

We’ll continue to add to the content on these pages, so check back for updates.