In celebration of GIS Day on Nov. 19, the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries' GIS Lab created "Mapping Vanderbilt's Past, Present, Future," an interactive story map that documents how the university's campus has been imagined, built, contested and reshaped across its 150-year history.
Librarian for Geospatial Data and Systems Alyssa Sklar used historical maps and archival photographs provided by Special Collections and University Archives, as well as geographic layers, to explore Vanderbilt's growth from a humble 74-acre plot of farmland west of Nashville to the 340-acre arboretum and internationally recognized research institution it is today. The story map's "future" section even visualizes the university's expansion to satellite campuses in other parts of the country.
The georeferencing of maps was conducted by Sklar and Vanderbilt student and Buchanan Library Fellow Hannah Sun.
Located at the Peabody Library, the GIS Lab provides comprehensive GIS resources and instruction to foster exploration, support geospatial data literacy, and promote collaboration in interdisciplinary research and problem-solving for the Vanderbilt community. To learn more, visit library.vanderbilt.edu/gis-lab.
