Geography Awareness Week (GAW) is taking place from November 15-21!  Launched in 1987, this week provides a global opportunity for people and organizations to celebrate what geography is, what it can do, and how it helps us understand the world, people and culture, the environment, and the interactions among those features from a spatial viewpoint.

During Geography Awareness Week, GIS (Geographical Information Sciences) Day will also be take place (Wednesday, Nov. 18^th.) GIS Day was developed in 1999 to support the aims of GAW and to focus attention on the role GIS and other spatial technologies play in developing solutions that are based upon spatial science and geographic understanding.

There is an added bonus to this year’s celebration of GAW and GIS Day. The events take place during International Map Year (IMY). The theme for IMY is “We Love Maps”, and the year has been endorsed by the United Nations and numerous national and international organizations, companies, government and not-for-profits. Led by the International Cartographic Association (ICA), IMY for 2015-2016 is being celebrated in Canada with the leadership of a number of key organizations, companies and governmental departments. (IMY for Canada can be found at http://internationalmapyear.ca or @IMY_CA).

Dalhousie Libraries has always played a role in promoting and celebrating both GIS Day and GAW, and this year joining in for International Map Year. Over the years, we have hosted special lectures, public displays, and events joining with other partners across organization with the support of the Geomatics Association of Nova Scotia (GANS).

With the support of the Libraries GIS Centre, this year we will be hosting fun and interactive map displays where students, faculty and staff from across the campus can help create our very own “Where is Dalhousie” web map. They will be located online, as well as in the lobby and South Learning Commons of the Killam Library. You will be able to add in a place marker of where you come from, your hometown or city. This will be a public display viewable by other people involved in GIS Day and GAW, and it will give us a chance to show where our Dalhousie community comes – no matter where in the world our hometowns are.

Enjoy the week and don’t forget – “We Love Maps”.

(The online map will be available before and during Geography Awareness Week from November 10th to 20^th.)