Request For Proposals

GIS-Map Exchange Request for Proposals

IMPORTANT DATES

Call for Proposals Released: April 20th, 2022

Applications due: We are no longer accepting applications at this time

Applicants notified: 2 weeks after submission

Award period: 6 months to a year from start date

• BACKGROUND

  • The GIS-Mapping Exchange is an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded partnership between academics, geospatial data professionals, and public libraries. Our goal is to establish an innovative training program and collaborative networking platform between public library staff, geospatial data professionals and library patrons. More simply, we want to support librarians that want to learn how to create maps, work with geospatial data, and more.
    
    

  • With the generous funding received from IMLS, we are now starting a two-year project that will further develop the guide and toolkit while at the same time directly fund and support teams of librarians from around the country to partner with geospatial data professionals in their local communities.
    
    

  • Public Libraries can apply for anywhere from $1500-$5000 of funding to partner with local geospatial data professionals (which we will help you find). These small awards are aimed to fund projects that increase a library’s capacity as a key participant in their geospatial data community. To learn about some potential projects that can be funded, see the “Example Projects” section below.
    
    
    

• ELIGIBILITY

This funding is available for any public library in the United States.

• FUNDING

  • Public Libraries can apply for anywhere from $1500-$5000 of funding to support projects that help your library learn how to create maps, work with geospatial data, and more! The amount of funding dispensed per award will depend on the availability of funding and the estimated cost of the proposed project.
    
    
    
    

• EXPECTATIONS
  Award winners will be expected to…

  •  Complete their proposed project to the best of their abilities (with the support of a GIS professional). Projects should be completed within 6 months to a year of the award.
    
    

  • Remain in contact with the GIS-Mapping Exchange project team during the duration of the project.
    
    

  • Create a final report on the project upon its completion. This report can be a textual narrative, Powerpoint, Storymap, or other media type.
    
    
    

• APPLICATION MATERIALS
  To apply for an award, please submit a 2-3 page request to nhunter@pdx.edu including the following information:
  
  

  • Introduction of your library (name, location, any other information you would like to share).
    
    

  • Description, scope/timeline, and importance of the geospatial project or capacity you would like to use the award to complete or increase. Please also include how this project is in accordance with the GIS-Mapping Exchange mission. See below for the GIS-Mapping Exchange mission and a list of example projects.
    
    

  • Draft budget of estimated costs. See example of this here.
    
    

  • Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis.
    
    
    

• SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION

Please submit your request as a pdf to Nancee Hunter, nhunter@pdx.edu. When emailing your request, please put GIS-Mapping Exchange Grant Proposal in the subject line.

• REVIEW CRITERIA
  When reviewing applications, the GIS-Mapping Exchange will consider the following…

  • Does the application follow the instructions noted above in the “Application Materials” and “Submitting Your Application” sections?
    
    

  • Does the project assist in building geospatial capacity at your library?
    
    

  • Is the project feasible given the proposal, timeline, and budget?
    
    

  • Is the project in line with the mission of the GIS Mapping Exchange: "We believe that strong partnerships between public libraries and geospatial data experts better serve library users, further democratize data-use by communities, and support equitable access to information. This project aims to support public libraries and geospatial data experts to establish and grow their partnerships."
    
    
    

• WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER YOUR AWARD IS APPROVED

  • Applicants notified: 2 weeks after submission
    
    

  • Award period: 6 months from start date
    
    

  • A meeting between your library and the GIS-Mapping Exchange will take place at the start of the project to help get it started, introduce you to your local GIS professional, and discuss project expectations.
    
    

  • Check-ins with the GIS Mapping Exchange team as needed.
    
    

  • Creation of a final report by your library when the project is completed.
    
    
    

• EXAMPLE PROJECTS
  Feel free to mix and match these projects (or invent your own) for your library’s grant.

  • Install ESRI desktop and/or set up cloud-based GIS software for library staff and/or patrons (see “Additional Information on GIS Software” section for more information).
    
    

  • How to create web maps for library staff and/or patrons. (Workshop)
    
    

  • Create a map “tour” of important places in your community (Workshop/Project)
    
    

  • Georeferencing historical maps (Workshop/project)
    
    

  • Web/Story Map on local history (Workshop/Project)
    
    

  • Turn a table of addresses or latitude and longitude coordinates into a map (Workshop)
    
    

  • Community data collection and storage techniques - Paper maps/GPS/Etc. (Workshop)
    
    

  • Teen or Seniors programming on mapping and/or GIS careers. (Speaker Series/Workshop)
    
    

  • Critical Mapping: Understanding the biases behind maps and data.(Speaker Series/Workshop)
    
    
    

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON GIS SOFTWARE (ESRI)

  • While our team is deeply devoted to issues of open-source software access, our prior research has indicated that the success of a nationwide network of practice requires more consistency and accessibility than available open-source solutions provide. Because we envision program trainers originating from academia and local government, a majority of these individuals can be expected to have a working knowledge of ESRI products, while the same cannot be said of many open-source options. Additionally, ESRI has agreed to offset the cost issue by providing special organizational licenses that should be extremely affordable for even small library organizations.
    
    

  • As partners in this effort, ESRI will support libraries that do not already have GIS technology or need additional support. More specifically, ESRI will offer all of our Field Project awardees a low-cost way to acquire select ESRI products. Namely, they will be eligible for the “Academic Departmental Agreement,” which provides access to most ArcGIS products, including ArcGIS Online, as well as technical support, software updates, and access to self-paced e-learning resources. This offering will be available in 3 configurations: