The Clearinghouse project has been used extensively almost from the moment it went on-line. This amount more than doubled, to 1,582 files per month in the next six months. This activity represents new data distribution, and these values exclude in-house access by ISGS staff. Although Internet statistics are somewhat uncertain, the numbers indicated herein suggest that the Illinois Natural Resources Geospatial Data Clearinghouse has received a great deal of attention and is providing convenient data access for the GIS community in Illinois. The information can be accessed by any ISGS staff member from any computer connected to the Internet.
New information is added monthly.
The ISGS has very limited intranet staff support and no formal intranet development policies. Staff-Only web page design updates are sporadic and the link to the GIS Resources Web is somewhat difficult to find. Nevertheless, members of our section save time and repetitive effort by guiding colleagues to the relevant on-line support materials. In the past year we have greatly expanded the content and begun to apply web usability principles. The Resources Web is gaining attention and positive feedback from our fellow ISGS employees.