the GLOW Project

GIS Librarians for Open Workflows - GLOW - focused on the workflows of librarians and library staff charged with supporting geographic information systems (GIS) and its use across diverse academic disciplines. The grant, awarded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to the University of Chicago Libraries, supported multiple in-person forums, workshops, and coordination of existing and new open educational resources (OERs). 

At Forums held in Chicago, the discussions focused on the production and deployment of the commonly duplicated workflows and activities undertaken within university library contexts, building on shared vocabularies and practices. A second focal area included review of current and future digital platforms regularly used as portals for data search and dissemination.  To provide meaningful relevance for the GIS librarian community as a whole, the forums grounded these exchanges in concrete examples from social justice, health, and infrastructure application areas. 

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. The IMLS National Leadership Grant for Libraries “support projects of national impact that address significant challenges and opportunities facing the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance theory and practice.” 

GLOW was directed by Cecilia Smith, Director of Digital Scholarship at the UChicago Library and former GIS and Maps Librarian, in collaboration with Diana Sinton, Senior Research Fellow at the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS).

Use the Events & Activities tab to learn about the project's forums and workshops, including summaries of participant discussions.

View Resources & Research to find tips for providing consultations and activities that can be used at your library or support center to generate ideas and solutions for common support challenges. You'll also find OER and community resources.