UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State University Libraries has installed a new interactive kiosk within the Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information at 1 Central Pattee Library on the University Park campus. The digital map display features content from the University Libraries’ Digital Map Drawer and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps; data and apps from the Hamer Center’s ArcGIS Hub; and additional selected content such as the State College Land Use Change Through Time application. Users interact with content using a touchscreen monitor.
“As they enter the center, visitors can interact with the display to find content to fulfill their interests,” said Tara Anthony, GIS specialist at the Hamer Center. “The display helps to elevate the rich geospatial resources and maps available to users through our online library content.”
Ben Brosius, a third-year student majoring in environmental resource management, works at the Hamer Center as a maps and GIS assistant. He said his favorite feature of the new display is the ability to sort the Digital Map Drawer by ascending time period and view the oldest scanned maps in precise detail.
”This impressive display includes a large extent of digital collections from not only the map library, but other Penn State libraries as well,” Brosius said. “It gives an immersive and personalized view of the Libraries’ wide range of digital content.”
Visitors can interact with the digital map display during the center’s open hours. For more information on the display or to arrange a group visit, contact the Hamer Center at ul-maps@lists.psu.edu.