Skip to Main Content

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

This guide gives a basic overview of GIS and the resources available at the Texas State University Libraries.

Our Workshop Offerings

We offer multiple workshops designed to immerse you in a particular GIS-related topic followed by a hands-on demo that where you can follow along the instructor and receive feedback and support. All workshops are held in the GIS & Data Lab in Alkek Rm. 452. 

Fall 2025 Offerings:

Intro to GIS

Intended for complete beginners, we will introduce GIS and go over key concepts. Then, we will lead a hands-on, guided demo of ArcGIS Pro, the most popular desktop GIS software in the US. By the end, you'll be able to produce basic maps and export them as images. 

  • September 24, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
  • October 29, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

GIS Data Discovery and Management

We will showcase and review the process of searching for and managing GIS data, including through our in-house GIS databases and resources. The demo will include tips and tricks for efficiently managing data in ArcGIS Pro and a brief introduction to publishing spatial data to the ArcGIS Online cloud. Previous experience with ArcGIS is required. 

  • October 2, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
  • November 4, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Spatial Analysis

We will delve into spatial analysis within the ArcGIS platform, explaining and demonstrating basic but useful tools such as clip, append, merge, and spatial joins. Previous experience with ArcGIS is required

  • October 7, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
  • November 12, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

Web Mapping with ArcGIS Experience Builder

  • October 16, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
  • November 26, 12:00pm - 1:30pm

We will teach you how to use Experience Builder to create highly interactive and easy-to-use no-code GIS web applications using data from ArcGIS Online. Experience with ArcGIS is not required but recommended

Note: all beginners with no experience with GIS or ArcGIS are highly recommended to take Intro to GIS before proceeding to other, more advanced workshops. 

For faculty and staff: to request a private or custom workshop on a GIS-related topic, please contact us.