MSU Libraries is offering several workshops in spring on GIS and map related topics. All workshops are free and open to the public. The workshops will be held in the Main Library.
If you have questions, please contact Amanda Tickner, atickner@msu.edu
Registration information can be found here.
... Continue reading "Spring 2019 MSU Library GIS Workshops"...The United States was eager to learn more about rumors of a potential vast wealth in iron to be had in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Copper mining was well underway and iron mining was just beginning when the Department of the Interior charged John Foster and Josiah Whitney to take a crew up there and complete a hasty geological survey of the 100,000 square mile area.
This image on the left is a small detail from a map which accompanied the 1851 report of the Iron District and it sketches out suggestions of the most prominent iron outcrops. The vast reserves deep underground...
Continue reading "“…an inexhaustible supply of iron ore of the best quality.”"...
Looking for visualizations that highlight major global trade networks?
Want to know which country exports the most puzzles?
The Observatory of Economic Complexity is a research and data viz tool used to explore global trade dynamics. It provides a snapshot of countries imports, exports, trade partners, products, and so on. Basically, it's a research tool that allows users to quickly compose a visual narrative about countries and the products they exchange. It provides access to bilateral trade data for roughly 200 countries, 50 years and 1000 different products.
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Continue reading "The Observatory of Economic Complexity"...Heckman. Ecological Strategies Of Aquatic Insects. Science Publishers, Inc ©2018 Call Number: QL 472 .H43 2018
Pardo and Pardo. Statistical methods for field and laboratory studies in behavioral ecology. CRC Press ©2018 Call Number: QH 541 .P365 2018
Nienaber and Steinitz-Kannan. A Guide to Cyanobacteria: Identification and impact. University Press of Kentucky ©2018 Call Number: QR 99.63 .N54 2018
Smardon. Revitalizing Urban Waterway...
Continue reading "New Books"...
CB Insights recently released a report outlining trends which they say will shape the technology sector in 2019.
The company which uses machine learning to mine terabytes of data and knowledge in order to help clients "see where the [tech] world is going," has identified 14 of the tech trends they'll be watching closely this year. According to CB Insights, here are just a few of the ways that technology will impact our lives in 2019:
Hyper-personalizaton: The more data collected about an individual, the more intimately companies believe they can understand and market to them...
Continue reading "Report: Top Tech Trends 2019"...
What's a CDOO?
According to Gartner, "By 2022, 40% of midsize enterprises will have evolved the role of chief information officer (CIO) into chief digital operating officer (CDOO)."
As the business environment shifts and adapts through digital innovations, many roles and resources will need to be reallocated. In the next four years, Gartner predicts that the expansion of cloud services as a core for business' financial management and planning will "cause issues for 60% of organizations."
For businesses, digital integration will be both complex and uncomfortable. ...
Continue reading "New Gartner Reports"...
It's the week of Thanksgiving, which means it's time to start shopping!
According to the National Retail Federation, "Consumers say they will spend an average $1,007 on gifts, decorations and more this holiday season." And while many holiday shoppers will invariably wait until the last minute, online shopping and same-day delivery have made last-minute purchases even easier.
"Confidence is near an all-time high, unemployment is the lowest we've seen in decades and take-home wages are up. All of that is reflected in consumers' buying plans" - National Retail Federation, CEO...
Continue reading "What's for Christmas?"...
Blockchain’s burgeoning popularity in the business world has attracted a lot of attention, but Blockchain currencies have also attracted a lot of hackers.
Cybersecurity firm CipherTrace estimates that the theft of digital currencies through the hacking of exchanges and trading platforms in 2018 amounts to $927 million. In September, hackers stole an estimated $59 million from Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Zaif. According to Reuters, Crypto exchange hacks are already 250% higher than throughout all of 2017.
"Increased fraudulent activity and attention of hacker groups to ...
Continue reading "Hacking Blockchain"...
According to PwC, "Financial technology—FinTech for short— describes the evolving intersection of financial services and technology. The term can refer to startups, technology companies, or even legacy providers."
FinTech helps companies manage financial operations and processes. The term has become synonymous with all things finance; however, FinTech market segments generally encompass:
digital payments (Ex. PayPal; Google Wallet)
alternative financing (Ex. Kickstarter; Indiegogo)
alternative lending (Ex. LendingClub; Prosper)
personal finance (Ex....
Continue reading "What is FinTech?"...
This French-made map from 1785 was the first to bear forms of the word “Michigan” applied to a land area. It was also one of the first to recognize the fledgling country by its chosen name, United States, here in the French, Etats-Unis.
Of the suggested names for 10 new states to be made of the Northwest Territory, only two came close to being adopted: Michigania and Illinoia.*
Additionally, a lake off the Mississippi River near today’s Memphis is called “Lac des Meichigamia.” Nearby a line marks the supposed path of Ferdinand de Soto’s party more than 240 years...
Continue reading "We Were Almost Michigania"...