With each passing day, new and important research relating to the Corps of Discovery geography becomes available and it is the goal of the Data Consortium to assist in this process and make this information available in unique ways to the widest possible audience. As a result, The USGS National Wetlands Research Center, ESRI-St. Charles, Missouri, and The National Lewis and Clark Education Center propose a national conference for the Lewis and Clark Data Consortium to be held in St. Charles, MO, May 14th-16th, 2001. The goal of this conference is to bring together representatives from the private and public sectors that are interested in contributing unique data sets that reflect the historical and contemporary geographical characteristics of the Lewis and Clark Trail and its environmental context. The challenge remains to identify known and unknown data resources, continue the process of collecting these resources, and work to convert such resources into a digital format.
Digitization describes a variety of processes from scanning to more traditional processes.
Georeferencing may include a variety of methodologies that connect data set to geographical coordinate systems. Metadata documentation will be emphasized. During the conference, data needs will be described, disciplinary groups will be formed, and aggregation, acquisition and digitization will be discussed. Post-conference networks will be established to execute data aggregation processes through cooperative support by interested parties. The Lewis and Clark Data Consortium and its core membership will serve as the organizing entity for post-conference data development.