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Choosing a Digital Mapping Platform for Your Project

Event box

One of several workshops in the "Digital Humanist's Help Desk" series.

With many options to choose from, picking the right tool for mapping your research in the humanities can be daunting. This session will guide participants through the pros and cons of various free and paid mapping tools and platforms like Google MyMaps, StoryMapJS, ZeeMaps, Felt, MapBox Studio, Leaflet, and ArcGIS Online. Special attention will be paid to evaluating your own source material, needs, and priorities to find the best tool for you and your project.

Having attended this workshop, participants can expect to be able to:

  • Recognize the source material needed to create a digital project that incorporates mapping
  • Understand the pros and cons of various tools and platforms used for these projects
  • Evaluate individual resources and constraints relevant to choosing a particular platform or tool

Intended audience:

Anyone is welcome, including attendees not affiliated with Penn, although emphasis will be placed on resources and tools that are available to Penn affiliates.

About the instructor:

Cynthia Heider is the Public Digital Scholarship Librarian at Penn Libraries, where she works to initiate and support digital projects, scholarship, and programming that center community partnerships and public engagement. Cynthia holds a Master's degree in history from Temple University’s Center for Public History as well as a BA in history from Goucher College.

Registration is required. There are 18 seats available.

Related LibGuide: GIS & Mapping by Girmaye Misgna

Date:
Friday, October 16, 2026
Time:
11:00am - 12:00pm
Location:
Research Data and Digital Scholarship Exchange
Audiences:
Open to All
Campus:
Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
Categories:
Digital Humanities, Mapping, Project Management, Digital Scholarship, Open Access

Event Organizer

Cynthia Heider
Screenshot of a map from the NAACP StoryMap "History of Brown v. Board of Education"