Skip to Main Content
Pollak Library

Historical GIS & Geospatial Analysis: Introduction

About Historical GIS & Spatial Analysis

The Pollak Library guide to historical GIS and geospatial analysis.Historical GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and geospatial analysis – examining data tied to specific geographic points on the earth – uses GIS and other digital tools and methods for historical research. This often involves using and creating spatial data to examine historical relationships and patterns, such as how a geographic landscape has changed over time, migration and settlement over time, and reconstructing displaced communities.

This guide will help you:

  • Identify GIS and geospatial analysis tools supported by the Pollak Library and/or CSUF, and other relevant tools.
  • Find and download georeferenced historical maps.

This image was created by AI. OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT Edu (Version 4) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/.

Faculty/Staff Consultations & Class Instruction

Are you a CSUF professor who wants to integrate historical spatial analysis tools and methods into your courses? I am here to help! Framing a student assignment around a digital humanities or scholarship project is an excellent opportunity to further develop your students' digital literacy skills, whether they are undergraduates or graduate students.

Are you a CSUF faculty or staff member working on a digital project or wanting to start a digital project that involves historical spatial analysis? I can help you explore your ideas, evaluate digital tools, and find and work with digital data.

NOTE: I do not (yet) teach ArcGIS or QGIS software, but I can refer you and/or your students to good online tutorials. I do, however, teach other types of spatial analysis tools, how to find and work with spatial data, and how to create spatial data.

Consultations

I am happy to schedule a consultation with you to discuss your course assignment and learning outcomes, so that we plan how best to integrate historical spatial analysis into your student assignment. I am also happy to schedule consultations with faculty and staff working on their own digital projects.

Please use the Email Me button on the right to contact me.

Class Instruction

If you already have an assignment in mind, you can request a Library Instruction Session for me to work with your class. However, we will likely still need to schedule a consultation at least a few weeks prior to your desired instruction date.

Student Consultations

Are you a CSUF student who wants to work with digital spacial tools and data for a course assignment or digital project? Are you already using a particular tool but need help troubleshooting an issue or figuring out how to make your idea happen? I am here to help!

Consultations

I am happy to schedule a consultation with you to help. Please use the Email Me button on the right to contact me. We can meet virtually via Zoom (I can record that session for you) or in-person in the library.

Digital Scholarship Librarian

Profile Photo
Colleen Robledo Greene
She / Her / Ella
Contact:
PLN 127
657-278-3991