The TIIMS Toolbox consists of all of the TIIMS online data contribution functionality. The TIIMS partners have invested in several major software projects to help us get the job done.

• Add GIS Metadata to the TIIMS Metadata Toolkit In addition to contributing GIS metadata the the metadata toolkit/repository of GIS information you will have the ability to add metadata about non-GIS data and documents, project metadata and organization data. All of these items are searchable through the TIIMS Metadata Search Engine.
• Add bibliographic metadata for research going on in the Lake Tahoe basin. In addition to the ability to contribute your bibliographic data you will also have the ability to search other collections, join the discussion board and sync up your desktop software to the TIIMS online collection for ease of searching, organizing and utilizing your own collection and the TIIMS collection into your research.
• Collaborate and contribute data, documents and reports to the TIIMS Website

The TIIMS Metadata Toolkit

About the Toolkit

The primarily purpose of the TIIMS Metadata Repository is to allow for the cataloging and housing of GIS (Geographical Information System) data for the Lake Tahoe region. The terms that are used to catalogue the data are termed “metadata”. Some basic examples of basic bibliographic type metadata terms used in the toolkit are:

• Title
• Author
• Publication Year

Several GIS data oriented terms are used as well, such as:

• Bounding Coordinate
• Coordinate System

There are in addition several terms that have to do with currentness of the data, associated data or data sets, and more.

Sign Up for Your Own Account

To begin logging GIS metadata you will first need an account for the TIIMS Metadata Toolkit. To obtain an account please email: tiims@trpa.org. Be sure to include the following information:

• Name
• Title
• Phone
• Fax (if applicable)
• Organization
• Email Address

Getting started with GIS Metadata

You may be wondering why we need to catalogue metadata; how and why is it useful; and how to begin the process of taking GIS data and fully documenting it using GIS metadata. To help you with these questions, find answers to many other questions you may have and to help you gain an understanding of the metadata cataloguing process, we have amassed a collection of links and documents dealing with a multitude of GIS metadata common issues:

Additional Capability of the TIIMS Metadata Toolkit

In addition to housing GIS Metadata, the toolkit allows you to contribute non-gis document metadata, organization data (for our organization search feature) and project data. These data are also searchable through our TIIMS Metadata Search Engine.

Future capability of the TIIMS Metadata Toolkit

TIIMS Nodes and the Clearinghouse

TIIMS is just one GIS Metadata node that will be a part of a clearinghouse of GIS Metadata nodes that can all be searched at the same time and with the same search query.

Contribution and storing of Lake Tahoe basin workgroups

The TIIMS Bibliography

About the Bibliography

The TIIMS Bibliography is an online collaboration environment for Lake Tahoe and related environmental bibliographic research data. Through our online interface you will be able to:

• view and contribute bibliographic metadata
• gain access to other bibliographic data collections
• partake in the online discussion forum
• Sync-up your own bibliographic software to TIIMS bibliography

If you are already the user of one of the many popular desktop bibliographic software, through the TIIMS Bibliography software Biblioscape, you will have the ability to sync your software with our online bibliography.

Sign Up for Your Own Account

There are two ways to get an account.

1. Click here to sign up for a new account. When you sign up for your account your will initially only have the ability to read and view bibliographic data as well as read and view the other features. In a few days, your account will be verified and you will then be granted permissions to contribute data, partake in online discussion etc. Log back into your account.

2. You may also email us directly for an account. After providing us with your information and we can verify your information, you will receive your account information via email.

TIIMS Workspace Portal

About the Portal

The TIIMS Workspace Portal is an online document management collaboration environment. To this end there are several potential applications. Currently we are using the portal environment to help us organize and disseminate data, publications and reports for the TIIMS website. All sorts of data are currently being stored in the portal, most of which is publically accessible; however, some of this data, reports and other information will require you to have an external viewers account to be able to access it. People looking for priveledge level viewing accounts will need to email: tiims@trpa.org

Future capability for the Toolbox

The TIIMS Data Hub

The objective of the Data Hub is that it can be capable of performing a broad range of functions including:

• Data availability through summaries,
• Tabular data reports,
• Statistical data analyses,
• Graphics and maps, and
• Data preparation for download to other systems. A data hub will be created that will have the functions described below.

Data Browsing and Inventory Retrievals

This retrieval would produce a summary of available data for selected sites. This report can be thought of as a kind of shopping list for data. Users can have the option of producing individual station summaries and/or an overall summary for all selected sites.

Index Retrieval

This retrieval would produce site descriptions for selected stations. Each description would include agency/station code, station name, and latitude/longitude – basically all the data contained in the station´s table. This would be strictly a tabular retrieval.

Basic Retrieval

This retrieval would produce a formatted report with the requested data arrayed in columns by parameter and rows by sampling event date. One or more stations can be retrieved.

Elementary Statistics Retrieval

This retrieval computes and prints simple statistics for selected parameters at selected sites. The report would include data grouping by sample date and elementary statistics such as mean, min, max, number of observations, and standard deviation.

Time Series Plot

This retrieval would produce graphics output such as a graph of parameter versus time for selected data. The horizontal axis has calendar dates. Optional regression line and user-specified axis titles can be included.

*The TIIMS repository goes beyond that of cataloging GIS metadata however, it allows you to add TIIMS-related organization data, project information and as well as other types of documents that are non-geospatial data.