Group for Experimental Methods in Humanistic Research
 at Columbia University

Puerto Rico Mapathon for Hurricane Relief

MAPATHON at 2pm-5pm on 29 Sep 2017
 ⌖ Butler Studio (208b)
updates ↓

10/01/17 “Volunteers are helping Puerto Rico from home, with a map anyone can edit,” PBS NewsHour.
10/01/17 “A Mapathon to Pinpoint Areas Hardest Hit in Puerto Rico,” New York Times.
10/01/17 “Mainland Libraries Aid Maria Victims with Money, Mapathons,” Library Journal.
10/01/17 “When Cartography Meets Disaster Relief,” CityLab.

Following the recent hurricane, people around the world are using the [OpenStreetMap](http://tasks.hotosm.org) platform to give their time to hurricane relief efforts. The Red Cross in Puerto Rico has requested two tasks we can help with for their relief efforts. During the mapathon, we will teach people how to help with these efforts through mapping, and we will map together.

Columbia University Libraries & Columbia’s Group for Experimental Methods in the Humanities invites you to a Puerto Rico Mapathon for relief efforts.

Come help with relief efforts on the ground in Puerto Rico by contributing your time to open-source mapping.

No mapping experience necessary. No knowledge of local terrain is necessary. Come any time during the afternoon. This short video can introduce you to the OSM mapping work

Please bring your laptop & RSVP to agil@columbia.edu

PR Mappathon is an example of our Mobilized Humanities. MH brings together digital tools to equip broad social awareness and help in global critical situations. We mobilize humanities faculties, libraries, and students with relevant language, archival, technical and social expertise to nimbly produce curated and applied knowledge. MH sits away from state and non-governmental organizations and is scholarship in an global context.

Since we announced our event on the weekend, we have been moved to see other universities/libraries follow our lead. Added to our original event, we feel this can have a real impact on ground operations. Universities running mapathons so far:

We are working on a toolkit with these teams that we hope to share with other teams looking to replicate our model in the future. Stay tuned.