SpatialNews.com Press Release
GIS Day 2000 Promises to Be a Tremendous Success
Four New Sponsors Have Joined This Important Educational Mission
Redlands, California-The United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Library of Congress,
the American Planning Association (APA), and the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) have
announced their sponsorship of GIS Day 2000, bringing the total number of sponsors to 15.
GIS Day is an annual global event that celebrates geographic information systems (GIS), the
exciting technology that uses geography to change the world. GIS Day serves to make people
aware of mapping technology and the important contributions it is making in the fields of
science, technology, information, and the humanities. It is a day for GIS professionals to show
individuals and organizations how to utilize geographic information in their own communities,
businesses, and environments and reap the amazing benefits of GIS technology. GIS Day takes
place on Wednesday, November 15, and is a grassroots event; it is a reflection of the enthusiasm
and commitment of organizations as well as individual GIS users everywhere.
The USGS, joining as a principal sponsor of GIS Day, has a long and valuable history with
GIS, mapping, and geography. The USGS has also proven to be a world leader in the natural
sciences through its scientific excellence and responsiveness to society's needs. The USGS
serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the
earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological,
energy, and mineral resources; as well as enhance and protect our quality of life. To learn more
about the USGS and its GIS and mapping capabilities, please visit their Web site at
www.usgs.gov.
The Library of Congress has also joined as a principal sponsor of GIS Day. The Library of
Congress, founded on April 24, 1800, is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and the
world's largest library. It preserves a collection of 119 million items including the largest map
collection in the world. In addition to its primary mission of serving the research needs of the U.S.
Congress, the library serves all Americans through its popular Web site and in its 22 reading
rooms on Capitol Hill. Visit their Web site at www.loc.gov to explore their collections.
The OGC has joined GIS Day as an associate sponsor. The OGC is a nonprofit membership
organization founded in 1994. With approximately 200 members, the OGC represents the largest
organized force in the global geoprocessing marketplace. Among its members are the world's
leading software companies, telecommunications companies, computer manufacturers, and
system integrators. The OGC has successfully engaged key user organizations and technology
providers in a consensus process to develop technology standards and business process
innovations that support widespread adoption and use of georeferenced data and services
throughout the global economy. To learn more, visit their Web site at www.opengis.com.
The APA has joined as an associate sponsor of GIS Day as well. The APA is a nonprofit
public interest and research organization representing 30,000 practicing planners, officials, and
citizens involved with urban and rural planning issues. The APA's objective is to encourage
planning that will contribute to public well-being by developing communities and environments
that meet the needs of people and society more effectively. To accomplish this, APA members
use GIS (and traditional mapping) to help elected officials, planning commission members, and
residents understand the relationship of factors that make for healthy communities and regions.
To learn more about the APA, please visit their Web site at www.planning.org.
Based on the outpouring of interest and support from outstanding sponsors such as these,
GIS Day 2000 is expected to be an incredible success. This year's goal is to show three million
children and adults the benefits and significance of GIS technology. GIS Day events include map
galleries, interactive demonstrations in local schools, company open houses, and a wide variety
of interesting activities and courses.
GIS Day 2000 is November 15, the Wednesday of Geography Awareness Week (November
12-18, 2000), and is also principally sponsored by the National Geographic Society, the
Association of American Geographers, the University Consortium for Geographic Information
Science, and ESRI.
GIS Day's associate sponsors also include the American Congress on Surveying and
Mapping, the American Geographical Society, the Center for International Earth Science
Information Network, the Geospatial Information & Technology Association, the National
Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, the National Council for Geographic
Education, the National States Geographic Information Council, The Nature Conservancy, the
Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and
the World Wildlife Fund.
Organizations as well as individual GIS technology users are invited to be a part of this
worldwide educational mission and register to host an event. Participating organizations will
receive support in creating and promoting their event to local schools, newspapers, and other
organizations. For event registration, support, and ideas or to find a GIS Day 2000 event near
you, log on to www.gisday.com.
For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of geographic information system
(GIS) software with more than 220,000 clients worldwide. ESRI also provides consulting,
implementation, and technical support services. In addition to its headquarters in California,
ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than
90 countries, and more than 900 resellers and developers. ESRI's goal is to provide users with
comprehensive tools to help them quickly and efficiently manage and use geographic
information to make a real difference in the world around them. ESRI can be found on the Web
at www.esri.com.
ESRI and the ESRI globe logo are trademarks of Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., registered in the United
States and certain other countries; registration is pending in the European Community. GIS by ESRI, GIS Day, and the GIS
Day logo are trademarks and www.esri.com, @esri.com, and www.gisday.com are service marks of Environmental Systems
Research Institute, Inc. Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective trademark owners.
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