This week I created an interactive map with ArcGIS Online and selected five places which are important to me at Carleton: Laird Stadium, Gould Library, Moon House, the Center for Math and Computing, and Sayles-Hill Campus Center. Each of these locations is associated with a different aspect of my life on campus, such as my classes, football, the place where I live, or simply spending time with my friends.
My Interactive Map and Data:
When creating my map, I started by finding the latitude and longitude for each place using Google Maps. I then entered all the information into a Google Sheet, saved it in CSV format, and uploaded it to ArcGIS. Next, I used the mapping tools to display my locations on the map and arranged for an Instant App to be set up so that other people could also look at it.
I chose these five places since they clearly illustrate how I spend my time at Carleton. Laird Stadium is particularly notable because football has always been an important part of my college life. Moon House is the place where I am currently living. I visit Gould Library and the Center for Math and Computing either to study or to attend classes. Sayles-Hill is also a place that I go to study and spend time with my friends.
What was surprising in this laboratory was the simplicity with which basic geographic data could be made interactive. Previously, I had never imagined that a simple spreadsheet containing coordinates could actually display something personal; it only after seeing all my locations on a single map did I realize how the places I go to every day are connected.
I believe that web mapping could be very useful to the field of digital humanities. For instance, historians could make use of ArcGIS to illustrate how the campus has changed over time, where students used to live, and how the buildings have been put to different uses. Rather than merely reading about it, you can see it on a map yourself.
This lab demonstrated to me how ArcGIS can make geographic data much more interesting and easier to understand, and it also provided me with a new way of looking at the places I visit every day.
What I liked is that you selected sites that actually matter for your life here at Carleton, and not just random buildings that happen to be around. Another nice aspect was when you explained that something as ordinary as a spreadsheet with coordinates can become a map with a story. It is fascinating how we can use mapping to uncover components of our college experience and the connections between them.
Zach, I like how you connected different campus locations to specific parts of your daily life, especially how Laird Stadium represents your experience with football. It’s interesting to see how each place has a different meaning depending on how you use it. I also thought your point about using interactive maps to show how Carleton has changed over time was a great example of how digital mapping can be useful beyond just showing locations.