Originally published elsewhere
GIS Librarians at US R1 Universities
This is a summary. Read the full post at https://www.tim-dennis.com/gis-librarians-library/.
This spring I surveyed all 187 Carnegie R1 universities to see which have a dedicated GIS librarian, meaning someone whose primary job is GIS or geospatial data. 82 do. Among the top 25 R&D spenders the figure is 81%, and every one of UCLA’s direct public-university peers has one.
UCLA cut its GIS librarian in 2024, the only UC campus to eliminate the role. The report documents what went with it, from ArcGIS Online administration to consultations and instruction. In August 2026, UCLA committed to hiring a GIS librarian again.
The full report, with the interactive map, the directory, and the code and data, is here: GIS Librarians at US R1 Universities.