GSD Library Mapping Hours
GSD Mapping Assistants (mapping@gsd.harvard.edu) provide regular office hours during the semester. They assist with technical GIS questions and also field basic data questions. Consultations are by default virtual. In-person consultations may be possible depending on availability/circumstances.
Note: Available Consultation hours during the summer are limited. If you do not find a suitable consultation time here please reach out via email or Ask A Design Librarian.
For all data inquiries, including the purchasing of new datasets, contact: Ask a Design Librarian.
Geospatial Data Portals Quick Links
- Harvard Geospatial LibraryHarvard's main geospatial data portal. Contains vector and raster data, including scanned and georeferenced paper maps!
- Data.govThe US government provides open access to thousands of geospatial datasets.
- SimplyAnalytics (formerly SimplyMap)(census data from 2000 and 2010, as well as market and business data). Sign up with your Harvard email!
- Social Explorer: Demographic Data (historical - present)Access both historical and current demographic data. Includes census data and data from the American Community Survey.
** Make sure to check the boxes "Output ALL geographic identifiers" and "Output DBF friendly column names" on Social Explorer's download page. Click on the csv-link to download the file, and on the Data Dictionary link to download the data dictionary
- MA: MassGISGIS data for the state of Massachusetts
- USGS Earth ExplorerAccess a variety of data: satellite images, lidar, orthophotos, DEMs, etc.!
SIGN UP for a FREE account to download data!
GIS at Harvard
The Center for Geographic Analysis (CGA) at Harvard has put together a comprehensive list of links to state, national and international data resources. Look at resources from this list.