----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Marc McGee <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
Sent: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 14:35:51 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: RE: Call for discussion topics: ALA Annual Cartographic Resources Cataloging Interest Group
Hello All,
I'd like to propose the following topic for discussion at the ALA Annual ALCTS CaMMS/MAGIRT Cartographic Resources Cataloging Interest Group meeting:
Improving digital geospatial data concepts in LCGFT (Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms).
How do our users find digital geospatial data in the catalog? Are current LCGFT precise and accurate enough to aid in the effective discovery of geospatial data (and in particular GIS-enabled data)? How can we augment and/or clarify existing genre/form headings for more consistent cataloging and data discovery?
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Examples:
The LCGFT term "Geospatial data" and its narrower terms "Raster data" and "Vector data" are very useful genre/form headings for the discovery of geospatial datasets. Should the cartographic resources community consider adding other geospatial data types as narrower terms of "Geospatial data" to represent such concepts as: geospatial tabular data, georeferenced paper maps, etc.?
As previously discussed on the MAPS-L listserv, LCGFT "Geodatabases" suffers from ambiguity as to its intended application. There are several definitions cited in the authority record source fields. One intended application seems to be to describe, generically, any database containing geospatial information. A second intended use seems to be to describe, specifically, a data storage model developed by Esri. Someone from the GIS community using the catalog would understand "Geodatabases" to mean the latter. Neither of these applications seem appropriate as a LCGFT. Proprietary format types are not generally LCGFTs and other database collections of resources use "Databases" for the LCGFT, they don't have genre specific LCGFTs (e.g. "E-journal databases" is not a heading). What is the core concept that this heading is really trying to describe? Is it appropriate and/or necessary to keep, and, if yes, how should the Term be modified so that it is not synonymous with the Esri proprietary data type?
"Digital maps", a narrower term of "Maps", also suffers from some ambiguity as to its intended application as a genre/form heading. The source authority data refers to "Digital maps" as "maps--digital (1. maps stored in digital form; 2. graphic representations of geographic areas; stored in digital form and intended for presentation (in most cases) on computers)". This can be interpreted broadly to be applicable to: geospatial data, scans of paper maps/atlases, or born-digital maps/atlases, etc. Digital maps do not necessarily require their own genre/form term since the electronic aspect will be brought out in other elements of a MARC record. These resources are often simply "Maps" or "Topographic maps", etc. in digital form.
An application where "Digital maps" might make the most sense to use as a LCGFT would be for interactive, digital mapping services where the spatial extent and scale of the map can be manipulated and/or custom data layers can be added, subtracted, or custom rendered by the user (e.g. Google maps, HealthMap, Harvard University Campus Map, National Atlas MapMaker, etc.). These types of maps are fundamentally different from a static, scanned paper map, a born digital map in a static data form (e.g. pdf), or from geospatial datasets that are intended to be source data manipulated in a GIS.
At the very least all of these concepts would benefit from more explicit scope notes in the authority records as to their intended application.
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While I'm excited to begin to have this conversation at the ALA Cartographic Resources Cataloging Interest Group, I believe this is an important discussion to have as a larger community. Some of you likely have more specific knowledge about the original intent of some these Terms and I'm sure many others have great ideas about how to improve the existing geospatial LCGFT for better access to geospatial materials. I'd like to open the conversation at ALA and figure out a way to work with the greater cartographic resources community to best take advantage of everyone's knowledge.
Open to your thoughts and ideas.
Best,
Marc
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Dear Cartographic Resources Colleagues,
This is a general call for discussion topics for the ALCTS CaMMS/MAGIRT Cartographic Resources Cataloging Interest Group meeting at ALA Annual in Chicago.
The Cartographic Resources Cataloging Interest Group meeting is an open discussion session for addressing topics of interest to the cartographic and geospatial resources cataloging community. This is a great forum for presenting questions to and exchanging ideas with cartographic resources community colleagues.
Please send any cartographic cataloging and metadata topics you'd be interested in discussing to me ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) and I will compile an agenda for the session.
ALCTS CaMMS/MAGIRT Cartographic Resources Cataloging Interest Group meeting
When: Sunday, June 30, 2013, 8:30 am to 10:00 am (CST)
Location: InterContinental Chicago hotel, Seville Ballroom West
Even if you are unable to attend the discussion session please feel free to send me any topics you'd be interested in having covered. As usual, notes from the session will be shared widely after the meeting.
I will send out a reminder e-mail message closer to the ALA meeting with further details of discussion topics.
I hope to see many of you at our session in Chicago!
Best,
Marc
Coordinator, ALCTS CaMMS/MAGIRT Cartographic Resources Cataloging Interest Group
ALA Connect Community: http://connect.ala.org/node/64377
ALCTS CaMMS/MAGIRT Cartographic Resources Cataloging Interest Group: http://www.ala.org/alcts/mgrps/camms/grps/ats-ccsdgmap
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Marc McGee
Geospatial Resources Cataloger
Information & Technical Services
Harvard Map Collection
Pusey Library
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
617-495-2417
e-mail: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Harvard Geospatial Library: http://hgl.harvard.edu<http://hgl.harvard.edu/>