------- Original Message --------
Subject: RE: GIS and libraries
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:11:29 +0100
From: Fleet, Christopher <[log in to unmask]>
To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
<[log in to unmask]>
Martin,
Given your kind words about my rather dull, if worthy, article in
e-perimetron on this, I thought I should at least send a reply to yours.
Without remembering the specific circumstances of what information you
have already about the Australian imperial series mapping - especially
whether you have access to sheet-edge coordinates? - I do think that
coordinate-based retrieval would have most to offer, whether you use
these in a GIS or not.
Within the last few years, I think the opportunities for creating sheet
indexes with coordinates in dynamic applications have steadily grown, in
addition to using a GIS like ArcGIS or Mapserver and dynamic indexes. I
wanted to mention a few of these, in case helpful, though you may well
know of them. In general, I feel that whatever short term software you
use, there is a real long-term value of focusing on coordinates /
georeferenced maps for future retrieval, especially for a large map
series. Clickable HTML indexes have a much more limited potential, in my
opinion.
In the United Kingdom, following Ed Fielden's very helpful publication
of sets of coordinates for historic Ordnance Survey mapping -
http://www.fieldenmaps.info/ - effectively the basis for the CCS
Sheetfinder application - http://http://www.fieldenmaps.info/ - we've
been able to make use of these to form graphic indexes for our old OS
maps series, eg. http://maps.nls.uk/os/oneinch_1st_graphic.html This
effectively uses Javscript and KML, but no GIS, and works well for
smaller series.
The release of some free mapping from Ordnance Survey in April this year
has also allowed new applications for series maps, including The
National Archives' Valuation Office maps:
http://labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk/wordpress/index.php/2010/04/valuatio
n-office-map-finder/#more-11 Again, the basis for this is a shapefile
or set of coordinate boundaries, linked to a database of holdings, but
no GIS. The background mapping and system could easily change in future,
but the main thing is the coordinates and sheet metadata.
I don't know if you know of Klokan Petr Pridal's MapRank search system:
http://demo.mapranksearch.com/ ? This is a prototype, which will no
doubt be developed further, but shows the great potential of a graphic
(and temporal) interface to searching map records (including series
maps) once their coordinate extents are known. Petr's online
Georeferencer application - http://www.georeferencer.org/ - may also be
of interest. Rather like New York Public Library's Map Rectifier, this
focuses on crowdsourcing to help georeference. Petr's Georeferencer is
able to dynamically use existing zoomable maps from libraries - rather
like our NLS maps that we hope to publicise soon, the NLA maps can also
be ingested into Georeferencer:
http://www.georeferencer.org/map/3T58S5MtCIBQYZAPGlqa7X/ . Given how
successful the Australian historic newspapers digitisation and
crowdsourcing has been, is there an opportunity to enlist online
collaboration for your project? The Cartomundi project also offers a
collaborative approach to accessing online series mapping
http://cartomed.mmsh.univ-aix.fr/index_EN.html
Anyway, just a few thoughts. Would be interested to hear of your
progress.
All good wishes,
Chris
Chris Fleet
Senior Map Curator
National Library of Scotland
159 Causewayside
EDINBURGH
EH9 1PH
United Kingdom.
Tel. 0131 623 3973
Fax. 0131 623 3971
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
View maps website: http://maps.nls.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Angie Cope
Sent: 28 October 2010 13:59
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: GIS and libraries
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: GIS and libraries
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:03:14 +1100
From: Martin Woods<[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]<[log in to unmask]>
The National Library of Australia has been digitising its older sheet
maps for 8 years, and has digitised over 15,000 items to date. We are
now commencing to digitise our holdings of Australian imperial series
mapping, created in the first half of the twentieth century and
desirable for family and community history and a variety of
environmental and other uses. Australian nationally produced layers are
mainly,
8 inch - 1940s
4 inch - 1940s-50s
2 inch - 1932-41, 1949
1 inch - 1912-1940s
In all possibly somewhat less than 20,000 sheets. Included in the total,
each map sheet within a series may have editions, and there are
sometimes states within editions, a complicating factor.
It is likely that for the time being, these will simply be linked to a
bibliographic record as we have done previously, providing good textual
access, however as we are in the mood for experimenting with online
indexes, I am interested in whether people think it is worth using GIS
to develop and deliver series maps, vs a simpler HTML index approach,
and if they have preferred software. One approach is obviously more
labour intensive, but gives potentially more applications, layers etc,
the other is easier to deliver and less costly. In very brief, is that
about it?
I have been able to find very little on the topic actually assessing
alternatives other than Chris Fleet's very useful paper in 2006:
_http://www.e-perimetron.org/Vol_1_2/Fleet/Fleet.pdf_
*With apologies for cross-posting
Dr Martin Woods,Curator of Maps
National Library of Australia
Tel: +61 2 6262 1280 Fax: +61 2 6262 1653
Email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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