There are several methods to access the geospatial data files that are already available on our GIS / RS server. Here are three:

.....Method One

1. Double click My Computer
2. On pull down menu, select Tools -> Map Network Drive
3. Choose a drive letter that is current unmapped
4. In the Folder area, type \\xipe\gisdata
5. Click Finish
6. A window should open showing folders where geospatial data resides.

.....Method Two

1. Start -> My Network Places
2. Open Entire Network -> double click Microsoft Windows Network -> double click Remote Sensing and GIS Server (xipe)
3. Right click gisdata -> Map Network Drive -> Select a drive letter and choose Finish

.....Method Three

1. Start ArcMap
2. Add Data
3. Select the Connect To Folder Icon (a yellow arrow pointing right)
4. In the space under "Choose the folder to which you want to connect", type \\xipe\gisdata

The folder \\xipe\gisdata contains two other folders. The folder rigisdata contains all the geospatial for Rhode Island from the RIGIS database. These data duplicate what can be downloaded from the Rhode Island Geographic Information System (RIGIS).

Access the \\xipe\gisdata folder via one of the methods outlined above. Within the "othergisdata" folder you will find some basic national and global geospatial data files (such as the boundaries of states, and countries). If you don't find what you need here, you'll have to hunt for it on the web. See below for various links to get you started.

Tremendous amounts of geospatial data in "GIS-ready" format are available for download from various web sites. It is impossible to list them all, but here are some good ones:

• National Weather Data in GIS Format from the National Weather Service http://www.weather.gov/gis/
• Largest Free Source of Landsat Data http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml
• Census Cartographic Boundary Files and Data http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cob/index.html
• Africa Data Dissemination Service http://earlywarning.usgs.gov/adds/
• California Coastaline Aerial Photographs http://www.californiacoastline.org/
• Central African Regional Program http://carpe.umd.edu/
• CIESIN Center for International Earth Science Information Network http://www.ciesin.org
• Digital Earth http://discoverourearth.org/geoid/metadata.html
• Directions Magazine http://www.directionsmag.com/
• National Elevation Data http://seamless.usgs.gov/
• Free Geo-Data http://freegis.org/geo-data.en.html
• Geocommunity http://software.geocomm.com/
• Geodata http://www.geodata.gov/
• GIS Data Depot - Free GIS Data http://www.gisdatadepot.com/
• Home Page of The USGS Atlas of Antarctic Research http://usarc.usgs.gov/antarctic_atlas/
• LaGESI, The Laboratory for Global Environmental Science Information http://www.lagesi.caltech.edu/
• Mexico GIS Data http://www.conabio.gob.mx/sig_ingles/acerca_sig_pr.html
• NOAA NESDIS Home Page http://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/
• The Asian GIS Portal http://www.gisdevelopment.net/
• The National Atlas of the USA http://nationalatlas.gov/natlas/natlasstart.asp
• Topo Maps, DEMs, Satellite Imagery http://www.landinfo.com/indexdm1.htm
• United Nations Environment Program http://grid2.cr.usgs.gov/datasets/datalist.php3
• USDA-NRCS-Soils Data-SSURGO http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/ssur_data.html
• USGS Rocky Mountain Mapping Center http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/public/outreach/gistools.html
• VENTS Data Sets-GIS http://newport.pmel.noaa.gov/gis/data.html
• USDA:NRCS:Geospatial Data Gateway http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/
• National Historical Geographic Information System http://www.nhgis.org/
• CGIAR-CSI SRTM 90m DEM Digital Elevation Database http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
• Digital Nautical Chart http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/dnc/
• Conservation Geoportal http://www.conservationmaps.org/Portal/index.jsp