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GIS use for libraries
What is GIS?
A geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data.  It is basically visual depictions of data sets.  Geospatial technology, of which GIS is a part, combines key data and visual information from multiple sources and integrates everything into databases to create intelligent maps. The ability to collect, overlay and analyze disparate data sources can reveal patterns, relationships and emerging trends that otherwise might be overlooked. For some individuals, information and solutions become more apparent through visualization.  Review the following article to get an idea of how GIS is used in libraries today:

Holstein, A. L. (2015). Geographic Information and Technologies in Academic Libraries: An ARL Survey of Services and Support. Information Technology & Libraries, 34(1), 38-51. holstein.pdfPreview the document

Geographic Information System Resources for Libraries

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), a governmental agency, offers an assortment of analytical GIS tools and resources at https://www.usgs.gov/products/data-and-tools/gis-data/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. which includes real-time data, application program interfaces (APIs), and data management tools. Equally, several other governmental agencies also have dedicated geospatial data resources. One example is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site https://www.cdc.gov/gis/index.htm (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. which explore spatial aspects of health and illness.

There are organizational resources for libraries such as the Public Library Association Wired Library page http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/01/using-gis-to-assess-public-libraries/ or the 
American Library Association's GIS and geospatial data tools page found at http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/01/using-gis-to-assess-public-libraries/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..  

The American Library Association even has a Map and Geospatial round table that can be found at http://www.ala.org/rt/magirt/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..  

For  information specific to libraries, you might want to check the GIS online resources page from the New York Public Library found at https://www.nypl.org/collections/nypl-recommendations/guides/gis (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., 

the GIS resources page from the Tulsa City-County library found at http://guides.tulsalibrary.org/c.php?g=695469&p=4931479 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., 

or the geographic information clearinghouse from Montana State library found at http://geoinfo.msl.mt.gov/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure range. It primarily uses a laser, scanner, and GPS receiver to map land. Several governmental agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, offer public access to not only data, but tools, training and information. One example can be found at https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. which focuses on addressing coastal issues.

Many states, such as Montana (http://geoinfo.msl.mt.gov/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.), 

Utah (https://gis.utah.gov/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.), and 

New York (https://gis.ny.gov/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.) offer statewide geographic information and resources. Often, they have state departments devoted to geographic data, reference, or research and can work with libraries to provide content for patrons. 

To find out what is available in your state, we recommend you visit the Massachusetts Institute of Technology library guides found at https://libguides.mit.edu/gis/states (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

To get a general idea of all that is available, a good place to start may be perusing a few lists of GIS resources, such as wikipedia's list of GIS data sources found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GIS_data_sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., 

the geographic information system company Esri's community web site at https://community.esri.com/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., 

or the Stanford University librarie's geospatial center list of resources found at https://library.stanford.edu/research/stanford-geospatial-center/additional-resources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Other optional articles of potential interest: 

Abbott, L. T., & Argentati, C. D. (1995). GIS: A new component of public services. Journal Of Academic Librarianship, 21(4), 251. abbott_argentati.pdfPreview the document