The library's GIS atlas replaced the federally developed Urban Atlas, an electronic atlas of St. Louis city and county that had not been updated since 1970. The atlas is accessible on a Pentium workstation in the library's public service area and provides 35 thematic city and county maps containing selected data elements from the 1990 census. These maps were created and saved as files using ESRI's ArcView software and are estimated to meet 80 percent of patron needs. The atlas also allows patrons to match addresses and map their own data. Use of a color printer is available at no charge.
Many patrons use the system quite easily.
Staff assist those patrons who require help working with the system. Those patrons with more complex inquiries are referred to the Illinois and Missouri state data centers, which offer full GIS service. Conversely, the centers refer users to the library when the library is able to meet their needs. We have it available administratively, and we use it for internal planning. But we have removed certain degrees of functionality from the public workstation because, if you don't, patrons lose their file or they rename your files.