Here are my comments on the Klokan bounding box tool and which tool we use in recording bounding boxes in our catalog record.

We have been using Google Map or Google Earth to extract decimal degrees and degree, minute, and second values of the Northeast and Southwest corners of a map we are cataloging. I think we started using this method of recording bounding boxes in 2006 or 2007. It is a very simple and easy workflow to extract the map bounding box values. I have trained my staff to find the area of a map they are cataloging on Google Map or Google Earth, then find the Northeast and Southwest extent of the map on Google and get the extent location values to create the bounding box of the map we are cataloging. This has allowed us to extract any map’s bounding box value easily. Before we were using Google map or Google Earth, we used to convert coordinates written on a map, usually in degree, minute, and second values to decimal degrees. The formula to convert degrees, minutes, and seconds to decimal degrees is very simple. We have been recording the decimal degrees as bounding box values in the MARC field 034 since about early 2000.

Here is our workflow of recording the bounding box. Open Google Map (http://map.google.com/) and search the area of a map you are cataloging on Google Map. When you find the area, locate the Northeastern corner of your map extent on the Google map, then right click and select What's here?, it will show the decimal degrees number of your selected point at the bottom of the map. Click on the decimal degrees value shown at the bottom of the Google map. This will zoom to the point you selected; on the left it will show both decimal degrees and degrees, minutes, and seconds numbers. Copy both the values and paste them on a text editor or a notepad. After you have copied the Northeast corner value, look for the map extent on the Southwest. Repeat the same workflow. Once you have both Northeast and Southwest extent corners’ values, then copy and paste those values on MARC field 034 (decimal degrees) and 255 (degrees, minutes, and seconds). It is that simple to extract bounding box values from Google map and it is free. If you want your coordinate systems value either in MARC or in any other style format, you could write simple formulas in Excel, Python, or any scripting languages, and the coordinates systems value could be converted into that style format. I had looked at the Klokan bounding box tool before but decided not to use it because in most of the cases you either need to draw a rectangle of your map extent or the bounding box they provide needs to be readjusted to reflect the actual extent of the map we are cataloging. Our workflow allows us to create the actual bounding box extent based on the map we are cataloging and also it is nice for our cataloger to learn more about the maps that they are cataloging.

If the Klokan bounding box tool is very helpful to map catalogers, maybe the Map Cataloging Group should approach one of these organizations: OCLC, LC, Exlibris (Voyager Cataloging module), etc. to develop similar tools. I think they have the resources and infrastructure to implement this simple but useful tool for cataloging communities. Looking at the site, I can guess the most important component is the administrative boundaries database. This database seems to be used in showing the bounding box on the Klokan site. The updating of this

database may be time consuming if the bounding box needs to be displayed when people search for a place. Why I think the Klokan site is using administrative boundaries database is that, for example, if you want to catalog a map which is not an official administrative unit, the Klokan site will find the place based on the place name database and zoom to the location, but without the bounding box. If you need the bounding box, you need to draw it based on the map you want to catalog. Once the bounding box is drawn, the tool will extract the lat/long values of Northeast and Southwest and converted them into any format styles listed on their tool. The default bounding box the site provides when you search on their site may or may not be accurate. Even though the site provides a bounding box, the cataloger still needs to check the bounding box based on the map he/she is cataloging, if you don't do that, you may be recording the wrong bounding box. The bounding box should match the extent of the map you are cataloging, if it does not match, you need to adjust the bounding box before copying and pasting it on the catalog record.

It is also possible to contact Esri to develop a simple tool to draw bounding boxes on ArcGIS Online map, extract the lat/long points values of Northeast and Southwest in decimal degrees and degrees, minutes, and seconds, and convert the values into the MARC format style to copy the values on fields 034 and 255. I think this tool should be relatively easy to develop.

Thanks,

-Wangyal

National Library of Scotland, Scottish Charity, No: SC011086

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