Digital Maps and Digital Map Reference Ed Redmond

Digital Maps and Digital Map Reference Ed Redmond, Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress

Brief History 1995 G&M’s Digital Scanning Lab • Digitization of Historic Items • not “Born Digital” • Research Quality images through the Internet

What Do We Scan

Scanning Goals: • Research quality images (not facsimiles) • Access to surrogates without risking the original item(s) • Controlled access – Voyager – Persistent URLs (aka: Handles) – Digital IDs • Example: http: //hdl. loc. gov/loc. gmd/g 3750. ct 000097

Scanning Priorities • Popular items (cartobibliographies) • Out of copyright (pre-1923 for U. S. publications and U. S. Government publications) • Items with existing catalog records ©

Scanning with Jumbo. Scanner This scanner uses an overhead camera that scans Red, then Green, then Blue. A full bed scan of over 3’x 5’ takes about five minutes (same as with Tangent) to scan a 300 dpi item 1: 1 resolution

Processing • Raw TIFF images are stored on a server • DELLs: – 200 GB of RAM – 80 GB hard drive – 160 GB 2 nd hard drive • Adobe Photoshop • Aware JPEG 2000

Metadata • Metadata tables • Who, what, when, by whom, on which scanner, what project, file name, file location, geographic location, and notes

Cataloging Digital ID: g 3300 ct 000232 Handle: http: //hdl. loc. gov/loc. gmd/g 3300. ct 000232

Cataloging

Conservation

Mark before Refiling

Retrieval

Stacks

We have a “Beaver” Map!?

Are there any other benefits to scanning? • Funny you should ask…

LC Map Collections website now features more than 10, 000 cartographic items

LC Leaning Page created especially for teachers

LC “Collection Connections” marries digital content with education standards

Lesson Plans arranged by theme

Erie Canal lesson plan derived from LC online materials supporting 4 weeks of classroom education

Two video conferences featuring maps

Survey for John Lindsey November 17, 1750

Survey Description

1748 Map of Alexandria, VA

1749 Map of Alexandria, VA

Washington and Fairfax

1754 Sketch Map map prepared to accompany “Journey to the Ohio” [Jan. 1754]

“The French are now coming…”

Lands Mapped at Mount Vernon by GW, 17471799

Plan of Clifton Neck, 1760

Plan of Clifton Neck, 1760 [recto]

Clifton Neck/River Farm

Plan of Clifton Neck, 1760 [verso]

“Inclosure lying West of the Garden. . ”

Captain Posey’s Woodland

Little Hunting Creek, 1766

River Farm, 1766

“Spy” Map of Princeton, NJ sent from Colonel John Cadwalader to George Washington Dec. 31, 1776

Defenses

Road behind Princeton

[Eight Survey Tracts Along the Great Kanawha, 1774]

1774 [Eight Surveys along the Great Kanawha River, WV]

Map abt. Redstone Creek and Fort Pitt, [1780]

Detail showing land claims