Redesigned BTAA Geoportal Facilitates Discovery

Rutgers University Libraries, part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Information Network (BTAA-GIN), join 18 partner institutions in announcing the relaunch of the BTAA Geoportal. Rebuilt on a new modular, API-first architecture, the redesigned geoportal continues BTAA-GIN's commitment to making geospatial data, maps, and GIS resources easy to find and use. The geoportal provides access to more than 100,000 downloadable GIS datasets across hundreds of government agencies as well as scanned historical maps from university library collections. 

The redesigned geoportal debuts with a more intuitive interface and expanded discovery tools. Researchers, students, and instructors can now: 

• Explore the collection visually with an interactive map 
• Filter searches by date range, resource type, geographic extent, and viewing style 
• Jump directly to a university’s collection from the map 
• Generate properly formatted citations for any map or dataset 
• Browse spotlighted collections, including the ever-popular Sanborn fire insurance maps, the Urban Base Layers collection, and the novel USDA Important Farmlands collection 
• Access a growing library of ready-made georeferenced historic maps  

Using the BTAA Geoportal has multiple benefits: 

• Open access, with no login, account, or subscription required 
• Standards-based metadata that keeps records citable and interoperable 
• Guided tutorials and teaching materials that support classroom use with minimal prep 

In a live webinar on Monday, November 2, BTAA-GIN will provide a demonstration of new search techniques, filtering tools, historical map discovery, and citation practices. Students, faculty, librarians, GIS professionals, and anyone interested in discovering and using geospatial data are encouraged to register. 

Explore the redesigned BTAA Geoportal at geo.btaa.org. For questions or specialized assistance, contact Rutgers University Libraries at ask_research@libraries.rutgers.edu.