This week I used ArcGIS Online to create an interactive map of five locations that are important to my daily life at Carleton College. I chose Laird Stadium, Watson Hall, the Recreation Center, Leighton Hall, and the Language and Dining Center (LDC). These locations represent different parts of my college experience, including academics, athletics, dining, and residential life. Here are links to view my Carleton campus map and my campus locations spreadsheet.
I started by creating a spreadsheet with the name, function, address, geographic coordinates, and visit frequency for each location. After downloading the spreadsheet as a CSV file, I uploaded it into ArcGIS Online to display the locations on a map. I chose a satellite imagery basemap because I thought it would make the buildings easier to recognize. I also customized the points using blue stars to make them stand out against the background.
Another part of the assignment involved creating polygon layers to outline the buildings. I traced the boundaries of my selected locations and filled the polygons in yellow with blue outlines. This allowed me to show not only where each location was located but also the physical space it occupied. One challenge was making sure the polygons followed the correct outlines of the buildings, especially for locations such as Laird Stadium, which covers a much larger area than the other buildings.
I think web mapping has many possibilities for Digital Humanities projects because it allows researchers to visualize spatial relationships in a way that written descriptions or tables cannot. For example, researchers could map historical buildings, track changes in neighborhoods, or examine how people use different spaces over time. ArcGIS is particularly useful because it allows users to combine different types of geographic data, customize their visualizations, and share their work through interactive web applications. Overall, this assignment helped me better understand how geographic data can be used to tell stories about places and people’s experiences. It also showed me how mapping can turn a simple spreadsheet into a more engaging and interactive presentation of information.