| Abstract: |
GIS users working for small, local or municipal organizations away from urban centers are often challenged by lack of resources and limited interaction with like professionals. Accessing the appropriate data, getting trained in a new program, acquiring aerial photography and other necessary tasks can be daunting and seemingly out of reach. Conferences and training offered at the state or multi-state scale such as NEARC are very important, but more frequent gatherings on a smaller regional scales offer advantages in accessibility and can have great benefits in terms of easing the limitations commonly faced by these individuals. Since 2002, the Cape GIS Users Group has evolved from four towns simply seeking to share data into a region wide organization providing networking, problem solving and training to a variety of GIS users. Additionally, the group encourages valuable personal relationships among users by bringing together GIS professionals, assessors and surveyors face to face in one place to discuss issues of common interest. The simple collaborative structure of the Cape GIS Users Group could be easily transferable to other regions where such communication among users could provide similar benefits. Regional collaborative groups can help make big things happen in little places. |