The Grant
The IMLS Grant project "Building a Globally Distributed Historical Sheet Map" has built a digital collection of a multi-sheet set of historical topographic maps of the Austro-Hungarian Empire covering the period 1877-1914. The metadata are stored in a MySQL database with a FGDC structure. This database can be searched for a placename which generates a geographic point from a digital gazetteer which locates place-names on the map images. Images have been 'geo-referenced' so that the resulting query provides links to map images, integrating them into one web-based collection. The images have been formatted as KML tiled PNGs so that a Google Mash-up can provide interfaces to the imagery, 'zooming' to the queried place. The interface brings together the appropriate image from one or more of the libraries.
The Results
- Created a workflow and published a detailed workbook for scanning, geo-referencing, clipping and metadata creation. The workbook, "Building a Globally Distributed Historical Sheet Map Set," between 2009-03-02 and 2009-04-02 449 full-text downloads.
- Scanned, geo-referenced and clipped map images and created map images as spatial digital objects including 1,000 map sheets at the American Geographic Society (AGS) Library, 776 sheets at the New York Public Library (NYPL), and 542 sheets at the University of Connecticut, Map and Geographic Information Center (MAGIC), for a total of 2,318 map images. Additionally the Slovenian National Library, while not a member of the grant, has scanned and geo-referenced 191 maps are currently finishing with metadata in MARC. The Slovenian map images will be added to the partners, creating an international union catalog.
- Created a dashboard tool which includes a metadata editor and JPG tiler for publishing scanned, geo-referenced and clipped map images, and
- Created and implemented a metadata union catalog which enables users to access and view scanned and geo-referenced set map images by querying an easy to use digital gazetteer.
The Resulting Research Issues
- DASHBOARD (Metadata Editor)
- Georeferencing (turning an image into a geospatial data object)
- Investigate OSGeo for modules (QuantumGIS? Grass? Moss? Others?)
- Is there re-projection or rubber sheeting (projection algorithm)?
- How global should projects be (how to enable this to be an international tool to add projection algorithms for the user)
- Clipping tool (to click margins off the image or to make the margins transparent)
- Process / conversion of different image formats ( SID to something else besides Tiff files? To JPEG2000 format?)
- Enable institutional branding
- Convert from Geodex to FGDC
- Searching
- More advanced search (spatial, temporal, scale)
- Search display
- Search results selection
- Making datasets available from GIS
- How does this integrate with GIS such as ArcGIS or QuantumGIS?
- Google Maps Component (KML nature)
- Selecting by an area in addition to selecting by a point
- Polygons from Digital Map of the World?
- Deliver citation information to the user about the selected sheet(s)
- Ability to add scholarly annotations ala Flickr
- Google Earth specific?
- Transparency slide to "see through" maps
- Temporality slide (ex: Budapest over a time period)
- Enable institutional branding using icon floats
- Getting user back to the full map held by the institution.