Guidelines for Secondary Custodian Use

Guidelines for Secondary Custodian Use of GIS Data Sets for Internet-based Mapping Applications

Members of the New York State GIS Data Sharing Cooperative are increasingly using spatial and associated tabular data obtained from other members of the Data Sharing Cooperative in Internet-based mapping applications. Many of these data are being integrated into the members’ core applications and have become a primary component of their daily operations. For these reasons, this document was created to guide appropriate Secondary Custodian use of GIS data sets acquired through the Data Sharing Cooperative.

1. Members must first obtain the Primary Custodians' written permission to use their GIS data sets for each individual Internet-based mapping application. Written permission to use the data sets in one application does not imply authorized use in any additional applications. Members should discuss intended use of the data sets including whether or not custom maps created with the mapping application will be downloadable for printing. Members should also discuss the Primary Custodian’s requirements for written permission, copyright statements, or any other requirements they may specify.

2. Members shall not allow any data sets obtained through the Data Sharing Cooperative to be downloaded from their web-mapping application without written permission from the Primary Custodian. This stipulation is a requirement of the New York State GIS Cooperative Data Sharing Agreement, Section 7 (“Release of Data, New Data, or Improved Data”), which states “Under no circumstances shall a Member release Data, New Data, or Improved Data in whole or part for which it is not the Primary Custodian to a non-member of the Cooperative unless required to do so by law.” Downloading of the data may occur however, only if the Primary Custodian has expressly given their written permission to do so. It is recommended that such permission list any specific requirements or stipulations.

3. Members should create an Acknowledgments Page for use with the Internet-based mapping application. While not mandated, the recommended wording should acknowledge the Primary Custodians of all GIS data sets used in the mapping application. Wording encouraging membership in the GIS Data Sharing Cooperative should also be included. In lieu of including this information on the same page as the mapping application, the Acknowledgments Page can be set up as a separate web page, hot linked with a prominent text or button link. A sample Acknowledgements Page is available at the New York State GIS Clearinghouse (<insert link here>).

4. Acknowledgments Pages used in State Agency web sites must adhere to the New York State Office for Technology’s Statewide Technology Policy P04-002, “Accessibility of State Agency Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications”. This policy provides guidelines for developing web pages and applications that are universally accessible to persons with disabilities.

Sample Wording for Internet-based Mapping Applications Acknowledgments Page:

Acknowledgments

Base maps used in this application were provided by:

Example Data Set Listing: