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J-5655/CH
GIS Approach to
Digital Spatial
Libraries
An ESRI White Paper
Contents Page
Libraries and GIS 1
Trends, Emerging Technologies and

Key Concepts 6
Building a Digital Spatial Library with GIS—

An Example 19
Glossary
Appendix A—Sample Metadata for Spatial A-1

Data Based on FGDC and USMARC
Standards
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (909) 793-2853

380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373 Fax (909) 793-5953
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J-5655/CH
Libraries and GIS

Digital Libraries— Geographic information systems (GISs) are appropriate for managing
A Look to the and accessing digital library data, and particularly collections of spatial
Future data such as maps or images of the earth. But, they are also
appropriate for any collection that can be geographically referenced.
Furthermore, advanced GIS tools can link library collections; that is,
GIS and coordinate information can be used as a general purpose
indexing system to library collections. This would make it possible to
access virtually all objects collected by a library that are geographically
referenced.
This vision for the future will affect most directly those who produce
and archive spatial data. But those charged with designing and
managing libraries in the information age will find here a pragmatic
vision of how to build, maintain, and access spatial libraries by means
of GIS methodology. In large print, libraries can use GIS to operate
digital spatial libraries today, and this vision will be fully realized by
the year 2000.
A Vision for the Since the Renaissance, at least, people have been fascinated by maps.
Twenty-First And that fascination has produced, and continues to produce, spatial
Century data of all kinds. The introduction of remote sensing in the seventies,
more automated techniques for spatial measurement, census taking
"The true university of and the generation of digital national databases, plus a host of new
these days is a instruments for automatic capture of spatial phenomena, such as
collection of books." global positioning satellite (GPS) technology in the eighties, have
(Thomas Carlyle, added a vast amount of digital information. So it is easy to see that
1841) libraries can benefit from automating their existing collections of
information and from providing electronic access to emerging
storehouses of digital information.

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GIS Approach to Digital Spatial Libraries
2 J-5655/CH
"Libraries are But we think it worthwhile for any librarian to consider how much
beginning to general knowledge is embodied in spatial representations. Some
dematerialize into studies have indicated that as much as 80 percent of digital data can be
ghostly data nodes." georeferenced; that is, includes a data item that can tie the records in
(Erik Davis, 1992) the database to a location.
The public service challenge due to millions of maps, petabytes of

digital imagery, and the growing and diverse demands for library
services is faced by libraries of all types.
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How Libraries Can The library community, particularly those who organize and maintain
Benefit from GIS spatial data collections, is well suited to play a strong role in providing
services to the user communities. The information–organization skills
of the trained librarian are readily transferable to GIS approaches to
data organization.
There are many philosophical, technical, and institutional reasons why

the institution of the library provides a superb opportunity for
organizing and maintaining access with GIS. Libraries have the
mandate for organizing, preserving, indexing, and providing access to
technical and other types of information. Libraries are a neutral
ground for accessing, integrating, combining, and otherwise querying
sensitive and diverse data. Libraries provide free and open access to
government information. Libraries can provide a technical bridge
between the user community and GIS technology. Library staff have
a user–service orientation.
Because location is a powerful way to organize information, as

powerful as scientific classification or history, GIS can be understood
as a kind of user interface for virtually all information processing with
a spatial element. GIS can assist with many activities, as follows:
Searching for geographic information, via a mixture of graphic

interface and text searching from many different physical locations
Integrating analog and digital geographic information sets
Making hard-copy (e.g., plotter) output of the results
Performing various kinds of analysis with spatial information
Who Will Manage Any institution responsible for managing and organizing collections of
information that provides diverse services to diverse user communities
Digital Libraries? can use digital library technologies. How any institution implements
the services of a digital library will depend on the type of institution,
its holdings, and the needs of its patrons. Digital libraries will extend
current services as library management organizations employ new
technology.

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Public Schools. K–12 schools are focused on using the digital

library as they use traditional libraries—as a data discovery tool in
support of other curricula. In the schools, the digital library will
often be a prepackaged data set delivered on CD–ROM media or
downloaded from the Internet. The hardware will be a relatively
inexpensive desktop multimedia-capable workstation. The
software will be limited to a data discovery interface and
visualization tools with, in some cases, hard-copy output
capability.
Public Libraries. Local public libraries can use digital libraries to

aid patrons in grant applications, business plans, and community
studies. Libraries serve as intermediaries in a complex
information environment, and in this role support educational
programs and promote use of government information products.
University, Archival, and Research Libraries. University libraries

can use digital libraries as a resource for class work as well as
research. Research libraries will deploy digital library resources to
manage their unique collections. With distributed electronic access
to information, libraries can more effectively share information
with each other.
Federal Depository Libraries will coordinate digital library

technology with data-providing federal agencies. Any library
charged with archiving extensive information can use digital
library technology to do so.
Data Producers. Federal agencies can use digital library

technology to organize and deliver the data they produce.
Agencies such as the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the
Defense Mapping Agency, and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration have data management responsibilities that
can be addressed with digital libraries.
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System Configuration-
Standalone
Browsing Station
Monitor
Desktop CPU
& Keyboard
CD-ROM Reader
Laser
Printer
Mouse

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Trends, Emerging
Technologies and
Key Concepts
The Information Libraries at local, state, and federal levels grapple daily with
Explosion increasing amounts of information, increasing demands for
information, and decreasing financial resources. A growing amount
of information, such as that produced by the Earth Observing System
(EOS), originates in digital form. Information also grows as digital
data are created about other data, such as the Machine Readable
Catalog (MARC) files used in on-line card catalogs. Data producers
such as federal agencies must deal with the creation and management
of petabyte-scale databases and distributed data usage. These
challenges promote data sharing and the connection to widely
dispersed collections of data.
Society is now producing more information than at any other time in

history. Librarians and others charged with making information
accessible realize all too well that in a time of shrinking budgets,
alternative means of organizing information and making it available
must be found. Research libraries have realized they must share
information to reduce redundancy and the work load on each library
and to meet user information needs—the most feasible way to share
information is in digital form.
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National The federal government has undertaken initiatives to create a National

Information Information Infrastructure. This proposed infrastructure encompasses
Infrastructure physically cabling the nation to create an "information superhighway,"
but also an institutional infrastructure to connect people to the
network. The National Information Infrastructure involves discussion
of federal information dissemination and access on the information
highway and evolution of federal data standards to enhance
development of interoperable open systems.
The Internet global computer network has already shown what is

possible with distributed access to data. Internet connections have
passed the million-computer mark and continue to increase

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dramatically as institutions, industry and individuals discover the

benefits of Internet as a global resource in communications and
information access.
Emerging Computer technology is maturing in ways that make digital libraries

Technologies feasible. The development of high-speed personal computers and
graphical user interfaces has brought computer literacy to millions of
people. Sophisticated computer usage is now common at universities.
Computers are easier to use—it is now feasible to design computer
systems that require little, if any, training and thus to deliver digital
libraries that are self accessible.
The 1990s have also seen the CD–ROM publishing industry come into
its own. CD–ROM has become a standard media for software and
data publishing. Low priced CD–ROM mastering technology has put
CD–ROM publishing within the reach of almost any institution, and
more and more CD–ROM titles appear regularly. The millions of CD–
ROM players attached to desktop computers, and CD–ROM standards
such as ISO 9660, make CD–ROM data delivery a secure choice.
And the 600 Mbyte-plus capacity and low per-unit production cost of
a CD–ROM disk make it an ideal medium for delivering large data sets
to a broad audience.
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Optical disk data storage subsystems, high-speed local area networks
(LANs), and powerful desktop workstations are technologies that can
be applied today to provide immediate and responsive user access to
digital libraries of ever-increasing size. Image databases will benefit
particularly from the increase in processing power, network
throughput, and data storage capabilities offered by these
technologies. Hardware developments and associated research into
software such as data compression algorithms continue to push back
the limits on manageable database size.
The existing high-speed national network has prompted development
of Internet data access tools such as Wide-Area Information Server
(WAIS), Mosaic Software, and World Wide Web (WWW). As
additional bandwidth becomes available on the Internet in the United
States and abroad, the evolving WAN technologies will mature into de
facto standards.
Text database technology is being used to enter, store, index, search,
and retrieve larger and larger databases of purely textual material. In
contrast to traditional databases, text databases do not require data to
be "compartmentalized." Instead, the text database indexes the entire
text contents of the database allowing ad hoc keyword searches.
Other text handling advances, such as optical character recognition
software for creating text databases from scanned documents, are
becoming more widely used. Several text database/retrieval engine
vendors are active in the marketplace and the WAIS technology
includes text retrieval capabilities.
Advanced, multimedia-capable software such as GIS can meld a wide
variety of technologies into a system to build digital libraries and
provide access to them. GIS can natively combine tabular, line/point,
and image data in a single application environment that can be tailored
with a macro, or scripting, language. In addition, GIS can leverage
its native capabilities with those of other software. For example, the
interapplication communication (IAC) capabilities of GIS make it
possible to combine the GIS spatial search capabilities with the text
search capabilities of a text database. Or, GIS can provide access to
full motion video from the GIS environment through an interface to
video hardware and software. And, GIS is evolving Internet
capabilities that will support client/server access to digital libraries
over the Internet.

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GIS Data Model The GIS data model integrates diverse data types and provides the
fundamental technology needed to support the complex needs of
digital spatial libraries. At its core, the GIS data model integrates
tabular and spatial (line/point) data, and provides the mathematical
underpinnings required for spatial analysis. In addition, the GIS data
model provides links to other data such as images or text. One special
spatial feature class in the GIS data model is the region. The region is
well suited to use in digital spatial libraries because it supports both
spatial and temporal access to data.
To illustrate the use of regions, imagine a digital spatial library that has
"spotty" holdings of a certain kind of map. The map series covers a
whole country, but only selected map sheets from the series are in the
collection. Further, suppose the library holds various publication
dates of certain map sheets. Thus, for any given area, zero, one, or
multiple map sheets may be available. The region feature class readily
supports overlapping or coincident areas, and can use this capability to
represent map footprints for the sheets in the map series. The
attributes of the regions include date of publication, thus providing the
information needed for a temporal search.
Imagine a "point-and-click" operation used to indicate a point on a

screen and on the earth. The GIS captures the coordinates of the point
and uses spatial analysis to determine whether any map sheets lie on
top of it. Immediately, the GIS reports that two map sheets (regions)
exist in the collection that contain the indicated point. Now, the user
can use a query utilizing the attributes of the regions to determine if
either of the map sheets is recent enough to be of interest. The
integrated GIS data model implemented through the region feature
class makes this query possible.
Key Concepts The GIS approach to digital spatial libraries is built on a few key
concepts—concepts that are part of the vision presented in the first
chapter. These concepts will guide you in building a digital library.
Geography The organizing principle of geography can provide intuitive data

access pathways. The digital library uses the concept that geography,
May 1994
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that is, location, can be as useful an index for data discovery as any
attribute of a georeferencable item. Libraries of maps and spatial
imagery are obvious candidates for a geographic approach, but many
types of cataloged material can be geographically referenced. For
example, a collection of architectural slides could be entered into a
digital library by location as well as by time period or architectural
style. Or, a collection of insects could be photographed and scanned
to produce a collection of insect information, including color images.
All the information of this natural history collection, including
imagery, could then be accessed by any number of indexes, including
geographic information such as where the insects were captured and
how the species are distributed.
Entering Metadata for a

Natural History Collection
Collected
Butterfly Collection Notes
Enter Item
Attributes
Photograph
Generate
Spatial
Metadata
(Point of
Collection)
Scan
Photo
Orinoco R.
Resample,
Create
Browse
Image
Background
Cartography
Entered
High-Resolution Separately
Image
refers refers
to to

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Images The simple display of a picture is an elegant way to determine data

desirability. In combination with other data reduction methods, visual
inspection can very quickly winnow a large number of holdings down
to the few that are of specific interest. For example, the cloud cover in
a satellite image may be listed in tabular metadata as 9 percent, but a
quick look at a low-resolution browse image will show how usable
that image is. The power of the image enables you to "see for
yourself," demonstrating that a metadata image can be worth a
thousand tabular metadata words.
Metadata The digital library must have a user-searchable, software-accessible

description of its holdings. This description is called metadata, or
"data about data." The metadata is, in effect, an index to the holdings
of a library and provides rapid data access pathways. MARC files are
a kind of tabular metadata. Library on-line card catalog systems use
the information in a MARC file as metadata to perform searches for
books based on author names (publication date) and other attributes.
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Digital spatial libraries expand the concept of metadata to include other

types of information. One type of spatial metadata is the spatial extent
on the earth of the information in a given item. Many spatial
operations, such as precise overlap determination, require that the
spatial extent be maintained as a vector representation. This type of
metadata is called the "footprint" of the collection item. For many
maps the footprint is the neatline rectangle, but for other types of
holdings the footprint can be a point, a line, or an irregularly shaped
polygon. A footprint can be expressed in a tabular record as a
minimum/maximum set of coordinate pairs, but for items with areal
extent, the region is a more accurate and powerful representation.
Area Covered
by Aerial Photo
Browse Image Tabular Metadata Spatial Metadata

“Footprint”
Logical Metadata Record

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Together, tabular and vector metadata form a logical metadata record.

The GIS integrates these two types of data and thus provides the
opportunity to perform data discovery using either or both types of
metadata. For example, the maps of a certain place and time can be
determined by a search by location using the vector metadata
combined with a search by publication date of the tabular metadata.
We can extend the logical metadata concept to include small, quickly
displayed images.
It is perfectly feasible to design a digital spatial library that has only

metadata in digital form. Just as an on-line MARC file ultimately
directs the library user to the stacks, so the metadata in a digital spatial
library can ultimately direct users to maps and other items that have no
digital existence outside of metadata. It is also feasible to have
metadata lead to purely digital holdings such as satellite imagery, high-
resolution scanned photographs, vector data sets, or a text database of
georeferenced abstracts.
Note: Metadata should conform to standards. The Appendix shows a

sample tabular metadata record based on a combination of the United
States Machine Readable Catalog (USMARC) and Federal Geographic
Data Committee (FGDC) metadata standards. Data that conform to
standards can be shared more easily. Images should be stored in
commonly used formats such as Tagged Interchange File Format
(TIFF). And spatial data holdings can be exchanged through common
interchange formats such as Spatial Data Transfer Standard
(SDTS/FIPS 173). Certain formats such as the ARC/INFO®
coverage have such wide acceptance and investment, they have
become an ad hoc standard.
Items are georeferenced in coordinate systems. A familiar coordinate

system is the global reference system, expressed as degrees of latitude
(north and south) and degrees of longitude (east and west). By using
a common coordinate system, spatial data from a variety of sources
can be organized and viewed in registration with one another. In this
sense, a common coordinate system is a standard for spatial data.
Latitude and longitude, expressed as decimal degrees, is a commonly
used coordinate system for digital library collections.
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Data Sources and Metadata, geography and images are common threads that run through
Data Access all digital spatial libraries and suggest common core requirements.
Pathways The final design of any digital spatial library will be greatly
influenced, however, by two other factors that vary from library to
library.
The first is data sources—that is, the library's holdings. Data sources
determine which metadata to collect and which methods of data
automation are the most appropriate. For example, if the holdings are
architectural slides and monographs, the goal of the digital library may
be to provide the library user with access to digital pictures of
buildings linked to scholarly citations. On the other hand, if the
holdings are a large collection of printed maps, the main goal of the
digital library may be to generate an automated order form for the map
the user needs.
Data access pathways are the methods employed by library users to

get the data they want. If users habitually use a standard map series as
both a requested item and as a way to locate and reference data, then it
makes sense to use metadata about that map series as a data access
pathway. If users often use a place name to specify an area of
interest, then a gazetteer function would be an appropriate addition to a
data discovery tool.
No two digital libraries will be exactly alike. Their differences will be

almost entirely due to the specific types of holdings they have and the
ways patrons get the information they want.

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Data Access Pathways
Point and Click Flight 2732

➚
➚
Area of Interest Flight 2732
flight.date < 1/10/92

and film.type = "infrared" Keyword Search Flight 2732
Enter place_name: Sisquoc Gazetteer Flight 2732
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Components of a Clearly, elements of the all-digital library already exist. The card
Digital Library catalogs of thousands of university libraries are available on-line,
sometimes locally and often connected to a communications resource
such as the Internet. Many library projects have used computer
technology in innovative ways to provide research tools for literature
and scientific abstracts. Digital satellite imagery can be searched,
listed and ordered from a remote computer facility. The contents of art
museums are now available on CD–ROM.
A digital spatial library as defined in this White Paper is characterized

by a number of features, as follows:
A multimedia database comprised of text, relational, image, and

digital map data types
A data model that integrates and allows for easy interaction among
the various data types
Multiple indexes into the database that provide a rich set of data
access pathways
Use of metadata (data about data) to describe the holdings in

software-accessible form—The metadata conforms to standards to
make the digital library accessible to remote users and other
libraries
A system design that encompasses the full database life cycle
The hardware, software, staff, data, and procedures needed to

implement the system design
An empowering data discovery interface that can put the library
user directly and immediately in touch with the information he/she
needs through serendipitous interaction
A data delivery mechanism with appropriate security features to
enable users to (1) image or list holdings of interest or (2) acquire
holdings once they have been located

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Why GIS Is Useful GISs have been developed in the context of helping to solve complex
with Digital problems. True GIS has a sophisticated and robust data model
Libraries capable of addressing these problems. Because GIS technology has
been developed under such stringent requirements, it has evolved
characteristics that make it an ideal tool for digital spatial libraries.
These characteristics include
Integration of many data types including vector graphics, tabular
data, and images
Spatial analysis functions that allow geographical search
Open systems architecture, application programming interface

(API), and IAC capabilities to support integration with other
software
Macro or scripting programming languages to enable very specific
and demanding application development
Graphical user interface (GUI) technology to enhance ease of use
by providing a native visual metaphor for computer use
Delivery on multiple platforms supporting communication over a
variety of network environments
Capability to manage very large databases and provide rapid
access to them
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Building a Digital
Spatial Library with
GIS—An Example
What We Have ESRI is committed to supporting digital spatial library projects. Over
Learned the past few years ESRI has participated in a number of library,
educational, and digital library initiatives including
Full-time staff committed to university, library and K–12 relations
Ongoing K–12 GIS projects, such as the ArcView®

School/Library bundle of software and data
Support for community access GIS in public libraries
Support for special university library projects
The Association of Research Libraries GIS Literacy project
Support for digital spatial library grant proposals
Based on these experiences we have identified two major tasks in

digital spatial libraries where GIS technology applies, as follows:
Building and maintaining the database of imagery, background

cartographics, and metadata
Providing the user interface that enables patrons and staff to

search, retrieve, report, and distribute data in the database

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• Metadata
• Tabular
Data Data • Vector Data Data
• Browse
Sources Input Image
Query Delivery
• Maps Tools • Background • Data • File

• Air Photos • ARC/INFO Cartography Discovery Copying
• Satellite • ArcEdit
Images • AML • High • Maps, • Order Form
• Photos • ArcScan Resolution Reports, Production
• Digital • Database Images Hardcopy
Data Integrator • CD
Tools
• Any • Scanner • Text Mastering
• ArcView
Georefer- Databases
enceable Data
Item
Edit
A Sample Project To provide a more detailed description of digital spatial libraries, we

shall use as an example an ongoing project Environmental Systems
Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), has with the University of California
at Santa Barbara Davidson Library, Map and Imagery Laboratory
(MIL). The project design outlined below is specific to MIL needs
and holdings, but illustrates the broad issues of digital spatial libraries.
The Davidson Library Map and Imagery Laboratory has a voluminous

collection of maps, imagery and aerial photography. Major holdings
include
Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) band-separate negative

monochrome film in 70-mm roll format and positive monochrome
film in 9-inch roll format. Approximately 3,000 rolls contain
1.2 million images.
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Historical aerial photography concentrated on California and the
northeastern seaboard comprised of about two million paper prints
and transparencies in 9-inch roll and cut frame formats. Photo
types include monochrome, natural color, and color infrared.
Digital data including digital evaluation model at 1:250,000 and
1:24,000 scales. About 200 selected Landsat scenes in digital
format.
Over 400,000 paper maps in a wide variety of map series from all
parts of the globe.
400 CD–ROM disks holding gigabytes of data.
The MIL digital library project goals are to
Provide rapid access to large volumes of archived data to library

users. A specific concern is frequent requests for items in a
known area of interest.
Protect the collection from the deterioration caused by direct
physical examination of holdings. This is a major concern as
many of the holdings are unique and irreplaceable.
Promote optimal use of scarce staff time. The clear trend is that
MIL must provide more technical services to more customers
every year.
MIL chose to address these concerns by building a digital spatial

library and providing library patrons with an electronic data discovery
and data browsing tool. Using the data discovery tool, patrons can
Determine what items are in the map library by a variety of data
access paths.
Examine items without pulling them from the stacks or viewing
original film.
Order data.
Produce hard copy.

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The digital spatial library project, named Alexandria after the famous
library of antiquity, hopes to concentrate trained library staff on user
information technical needs rather than the mechanics of moving
materials to and from storage. Staff time is thus focused on digital
librarianship rather than maintaining stacks. The intent of the project
is to allow users to access collection information directly, and to apply
staff time to satisfying more difficult patron support tasks such as data
set integration.
Data-Oriented An effective way to think about building a digital spatial library is to

System Design enumerate the tasks required to manage the data. Data-related tasks
include
Data capture and post production

Data storage
Data searching and reporting
Data retrieval and distribution
Data maintenance
Data Capture and Existing maps, photos, and images and other documents in a variety
of sizes, shapes, colors, and physical conditions will influence which
Post Production data capture document-handling techniques and scanning technologies
you choose. MIL will build Alexandria incrementally and support
access first to materials at most risk (e.g., frequently accessed roll
format 9-inch aerial photography) and then to materials that lend
themselves to automated entry methods (e.g., photography with
existing digital header information). Alexandria will tackle massive
data input with specialized data input devices such as roll film
scanners. One strategy being considered is to enter flight and map
series level of metadata information to avoid incurring the greater cost
of map sheet and photo frame level data entry.
Input resolution is a special issue. Each item will be scanned only

once, thus it is important that input resolution be sufficiently fine to
support most uses. On the other hand, too great a resolution will
make storing the image database problematic, as imagery, particularly
high-resolution imagery, takes up a lot of data storage space.
May 1994
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Alexandria will capture browse images by resampling the scanned
images to a lesser resolution.
The metadata database is composed of item footprints and tabular

metadata. Building the metadata database is as important as building
the imagery database. Alexandria will create metadata wherever
possible from existing MARC files, item "header" data, and other
existing digital data resources. Footprints of most MIL holdings can
be created through programming or by using existing data. For
example, footprints of 7.5-foot quadrangles are widely available as
ARC/INFO coverages and can be immediately entered to the database
with minimal additional processing.
Data capture also includes auxiliary data. Some data are required
purely as a visual cartographic reference, to aid the user in selecting
areas of interest. MIL will use readily available basemap information
such as the Digital Chart of the World and the ArcUSA™ and
ArcWorld™ data collections for background graphic references.
To enhance search and retrieval operations, Alexandria will enter other

types of reference material to aid spatial search. An example of this
type of data is geographic place names. At MIL, it is known that
library users often start with a place name to identify the area of
interest. By entering gazetteer information to the database, place name
information becomes a data access pathway. GIS capability can
connect the name, entered as text, to a location, then use that location
to select nearby holdings. The place need not appear on the display,
except to provide positive feedback to the user.
Data Storage Data storage concerns digital storage space requirements, data
formats, storage management software and hardware, and interface to
data search and retrieval software. The size of the MIL holdings will
result in a database of multiterabyte dimensions—this requires optical
disk storage technology. Alexandria will use gigabyte levels of
magnetic disk media as well. Magnetic disk technology is faster than
optical disk technology and is thus a better choice for storage of highly
indexed metadata and background cartography that are randomly
accessed by multiple concurrent users.

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Data migration software will automatically move less frequently

accessed data to optical storage. Thus, frequently accessed metadata
and background cartography used in many preliminary data searches
will tend to remain on high-speed magnetic media, while less
frequently accessed browse images of specific holdings will reside on
higher capacity but slower optical media. All storage technology will
be interconnected on the MIL local area network.
Digital Spatial Library

Example
Database Production
Scan
Coordinate Program Spatial Spatial

Information Metadata Metadata
Digitize
MARC Add
file Feature
Integrate Tabular
Identifiers
Tabular
Metadata
Other
and Image Metadata
Identifiers
Digital
Tabular
Metadata
Scan Browse
Holdings Images Resample
Images
Load
Full
Georeference Resolution
(Optional) Images
MAPS
Softcopy Edit
Background
Hardcopy Digitize Cartography
May 1994
J-5655/CH 25
Data Searching and MIL will develop a data discovery tool to address this issue. The data
Reporting discovery tool integrates elements of the user interface, such as
indexing dimensions (item thematic content, age, and spatial
footprint), search capabilities (e.g., data access pathways such as
point-and-click, keyword search, area-of-interest, gazetteer), and
report formats (e.g., map and/or tabular).
In the first phase of development, Alexandria will offer data searching

capability on the campus LAN. In later stages the database will be
accessible via wide area network (WAN) to other University of
California campuses and other sites.
Data Retrieval and It is important to clearly distinguish between data discovery and data
Distribution distribution. Some digital library projects have enhancing data
delivery as their main focus. Alexandria's main focus is data
discovery. In this way it is similar to a card catalog whose main
function is to identify available books and direct users to the stacks.
Data delivery methods are subject to the function of the institution,
copyright issues, and data capacity of the data distribution medium.
Alexandria will interface to existing MIL data delivery mechanisms.
These include item checkout, data copying and, for copyrighted data,
provision of hard-copy order forms.
Data Maintenance Data maintenance is primarily a concern in the later stages of a project.
Even so, planners should consider how to correct data and keep it
timely. The scope of these concerns will vary greatly with the items
under consideration. As an archival library, MIL will store mainly
unchanging data that will require little update. As time passes,
however, MIL will continue to add more and more of its collections to
the digital library. The orderly management of growth of the digital
database is the main data maintenance issue that Alexandria will
address.
Implementation The data-oriented issues are further explored in the following series of
Strategy operations-oriented tasks:
Problem definition
Data inventory

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Database design
Prototype system design
Prototype system implementation
Final coding and system tuning
Alexandria will use an initial prototype to test ideas for the formal
design and coding of the application software and the configuration of
other system components, such as hardware, data communications,
and databases. Because of the highly interactive and graphics-oriented
nature of GIS, prototyping is an effective means of defining and
communicating the true set of user requirements as the first step in the
application system design and development process. In addition, the
Alexandria team will produce system-design documents to define
Alexandria specifications.
What Will Alexandria is a multiyear project that, if successful, will carry on well
Alexandria Cost? into the twenty-first century. Its cost is understood better by what is
likely to happen if it is not implemented, rather than by the financial
commitment required to see it through. MIL is proceeding with
institutional commitment to attain operational status of Alexandria.
Costs for Alexandria reflect this commitment, as well as a real
understanding for the requirements of building a digital spatial library.
MIL has started the first stage of Alexandria development. Resource

commitments for this pilot phase include
Acquisition of hardware.
Acquisition of software through arrangement with ESRI.
Remodeling 750 square feet of secure air-conditioned floor space

for Alexandria.
Hiring one full-time employee with technical and cataloging

experience. This person is dedicated to the task of building the
MIL digital spatial library. In addition, two part-time students will
be hired to work on Alexandria. Existing staff will also work on
Alexandria, in addition to their other duties.
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J-5655/CH 27
Computer Hardware Hardware acquisitions have incurred the most expense in this initial
period. These purchases are significant, and aimed at supporting the
input of the large collection of aerial photography. These
transparencies are popular, frequently used, and at risk of
deterioration.
Image Data Entry Alternatives
Video Camera/
Framegrabber
Electronic
Camera
Roll Scanner Digital Image
Flatbed Scanner
Existing Digital Imagery

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To handle creation of digital library metadata and high-resolution

images, MIL has acquired a scanner that is specific for this holding.
This scanner can handle 9-inch roll format transparent film. It has
sufficient input resolution (600 DPI) to create images useful for most
needs. A personal computer (PC) is also necessary to operate the
scanner and provide temporary storage space. The PC is dedicated to
the scanner control function. The scanner input station was specified
with the particular needs of the data source in mind.
To support the input, edit, management, and storage of what will

eventually become a very large database of images, metadata, and
background cartography, MIL has invested in two edit workstations
and a powerful file server. The edit workstations can be thought of as
compute servers—they provide the processing power needed to
process geographic data of all kinds into its final form in the digital
spatial library. The file server is a very powerful processor capable of
supporting the data access needs of the entire Alexandria team. Data
storage media needed for the project is attached to the file server. The
server will access 50 gigabytes of magnetic media and 105 gigabytes
of optical media over a high-bandwidth data channel. The magnetic
media will hold metadata and background cartography; the optical
media will be reserved for images.
The optical disk drive has multiple 12-inch removable optical platters.
Each platter holds 1.2 gigabytes. Since the platters are removable, the
total storage capacity of the optical media can be far greater than the
on-line capacity. Even with this significantly large amount of storage,
MIL is planning for growth in storage demand. Preliminary studies
have placed the digital storage requirements of the entire MIL holdings
into the multiterabyte range.
Finally, MIL has acquired two color X terminals as browse stations

for patrons. These X terminals provide much the same capability as a
workstation, except they use the processing power of the file server,
are less expensive, and are easier to administrate than workstations.
May 1994
J-5655/CH 29
System Configuration -
University Map Library
Roll Digital Index

Film Data Sources Maps
Scanner Digitizer Tablet
Edit Edit Edit Editing

Workstation Workstation Workstation Workstations
Local Area Network (Campus LAN)
Image
Server
105 gigabyte
Optical Storage 50 gigabyte
Magnetic Storage
Data
Database Access Multiple Browse
Server Stations Workstations

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Computer Software The computer hardware requires software for its operation, software
such as operating systems, scanner controllers, and so on. GIS
software will address the specialized tasks of building the digital
spatial library and creating the data discovery tool. For building the
digital spatial library, MIL will use ARC/INFO. The ArcStorm data
management software will provide for long-term management of the
database. The ArcView desktop data access software will be the basis
for the data discovery tool. The ESRI® suite of software all works
from a common data model and common database, thus allowing each
specialized tool to perform the task it does best.
Digital Librarians MIL staff are prepared for the challenge. MIL is already experienced
in computer work and has used a computer network for several years.
In preparation for Alexandria, MIL staff have studied the problems of
digital librarianship. Professionals already on board are skilled in
systems administration, archival and reference librarianship, and GIS.
With the addition of staff for technical data entry, GIS data processing
and application development, MIL has staff skills and capacity to
implement the Alexandria project.
How Will Alexandria, once on-line, will provide access to MIL holdings to
Alexandria Help library patrons without the requirement of MIL staff intervention. By
MIL Manage Its empowering patrons, MIL not only gives them a better sense of what
Collection? the library has to offer, it also allows library staff to focus on the more
complex problems of data integration and library research which are
brought to it by an ever more diverse clientele. Alexandria will enable
MIL to preserve its collection while offering better access to it.
Alexandria provides an example of GIS technology applied to a digital

spatial library and illustrates the major tasks of building the digital
library and providing access to it.
May 1994
J-5655/CH
Glossary
API Application programming interface (API). A set of system calls or

routines for application programs to access services from operating
systems or other programs. The API allows your program to work
with other programs, possibly on other computers. API is
fundamental to client/server computing.
ARC/INFO A full-featured geographic information system (GIS) from ESRI.

(See also GIS.)
ARCEDIT A component of the ARC/INFO software which uses graphics and

sophisticated routines for creating and maintaining information in your
geographic database.
ArcScan A component of the ARC/INFO software that supports scanning as a

means of data entry. ArcScan is integrated with other ARC/INFO
functionality, particularly ARCEDIT.
ArcStorm ARC/INFO storage manager. One of the ESRI suite of products,

ArcStorm stores geographic information and provides tools for
managing access to the information.
ArcView Desktop browse and query software from ESRI with an advanced
graphical user interface (GUI) and object-oriented scripting language.
ArcView is well suited for use in a digital spatial library data discovery
application.
background Map graphics used as a visual reference to help orient the user to
geographic location. For example, the coastlines and national
cartography boundaries of the world are a visual reference at a global scale. At a
larger scale (i.e., a closer look), other visual references, such as
highways, could be used.

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Glossary
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band separate An image format that stores each band of data collected by
multispectral satellite scanning instruments in a separate file.
bandwidth A measure of the volume of data that can flow through a

communications link. Image data tend to exist as large data sets, thus
moving image data sets from one computer to another requires high
bandwidth or performance will be slowed. Also known as
throughput.
browse graphics (See browse image.)
browse image A low-resolution image that displays quickly on computer screens.

Because they are typically of 512 x 512 pixels or less, they do not
provide detailed information, but are useful for quick display.
CD–ROM Compact Disk–Read Only Memory. CD–ROM is an optical media. A

CD–ROM 5.25-inch disk can hold about 650 megabytes of
information. The ISO 9660 standard defines the format of data held
on CD–ROM.
coordinate A set of numbers that designates location in a given coordinate

reference system, such as an x,y in a planar coordinate system or an
x,y,z in a three-dimensional coordinate system. A coordinate
represents a location on the earth's surface relative to other locations.
coordinate system A reference system for defining points on the earth's surface. A
coordinate system can be planar (flat) or nonplanar (spherical). The
Cartesian system (x,y) is an example of a planar coordinate system.
Latitude and longitude (expressed as angles) is an example of a
nonplanar coordinate system. A common coordinate system is used to
spatially register geographic data for the same area.
coverage A component of the ARC/INFO database structure for organizing and

storing geographic features represented as points, lines, or areas.
Geographic features stored in a coverage typically reflect the same
topic or theme. The coverage supports the georelational model,
meaning it maintains the relationship between the geometric
(locational) and attribute (descriptive) information of geographic
features.
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Glossary
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CSSM The Content Standards for Spatial Metadata. A document produced

by the Federal Geographic Data Committee that describes spatial
metadata. At this writing the CSSM is in draft.
data access A method of querying a database. Data access pathways are

conceptually defined by use. For example, patrons of a library define
pathway a data access pathway by requesting data by place name. Data access
pathways are also defined by the digital library database design as
used through the data discovery tool.
data discovery The process of using software to find, access, and examine data in a
database. The data discovery process is often a precursor to, but
distinct from, the data delivery process. Special software is used to
make data discovery intuitive and serendipitous.
data model A formal method for describing data and its behavior in an application.
At the beginning of application design, a conceptual data model
defines the user's view of the data, a view that is subsequently
matched to the data model of the software (e.g., ARC/INFO) used in
building the application.
In ARC/INFO, the data model is the description of the structures and

their behavior for managing geographic information. The ARC/INFO
data model uses data in different, but integrated, formats such as
vector and tabular.
data set A named collection of logically related data items arranged in a

prescribed manner.
database life cycle The process of requirements analysis, specification, design, data
entry, data verification, data edit, data maintenance, data discovery,
and data delivery through which any database will progress. In the
early part of the database life cycle, major concerns are with data
definition, populating the database, and design of core applications.
Later in the life cycle, concerns focus on data maintenance and
meeting the needs of a growing and more diverse user community.

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Glossary
4 J-5655/CH
DBMS Database management system. A software system for managing the

input, verification, storage, retrieval, query, and manipulation of data
in a database. Digital spatial library metadata may be stored in a
DBMS. Relational DBMS can be used to manage tabular data.
decimal degrees A data representation for specifying latitude and longitude. Longitude
numbers range from -180.0 (west) to 180.0 (east) degrees and latitude
numbers from -90.0 (south) to 90.0 (north) degrees. This format is
well suited for storing information in digital spatial libraries because it
covers the earth in one seamless spherical coordinate system. GIS
software can project decimal degree coordinate data to a planar
Cartesian coordinate system.
digital elevation A model of a surface, typically terrain relief, stored as a set of x,y,z
locations where z represents elevation referenced to a common datum.
model Two methods are used to store digital elevation models, one stores
locations in a lattice (regularly spaced) and the other as triangles of
irregularly spaced points.
EOS The Earth Observing System. An effort to study the earth as a system
while tracking long-term changes on a global scale. EOS, a mission
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will produce
petabytes of satellite image data.
feature class In ARC/INFO, a classification describing the storage of geographic

features in a coverage. Feature classes include point for modeling
point features; arc, node, and route system for modeling linear
features; and polygon and region for modeling areal features.
In addition, the coverage has other feature classes for managing data
used to annotate, integrate, and segment geographic features. These
include annotation, tic, link, and boundary.
feature ID An integer identifier, assigned by the user, to relate geographic

features and corresponding attribute data. Feature ID is an item found
in feature attribute tables and other related tables.
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Glossary
J-5655/CH 5
FGDC The United States Federal Geographic Data Committee. Composed of

representatives of several federal agencies, the FGDC has the lead role
in defining spatial metadata standards, which it describes in the
Content Standards for Spatial Metadata (CSSM).
footprint The outline of spatial extent of a holding. For example, the footprint
of a map is its neatline, and the footprint of an image is the edge of the
image. Footprints, represented by the region feature class, are the
spatial metadata that describe the geographic extent of an item. (See
also region.)
format The pattern into which data are systematically arranged for use on a
computer. A file format is the specific design of how information is
organized in the file. For example, ARC/INFO has specific,
proprietary formats used to store coverages; TIFF is a popular format
for image storage.
gazetteer A work of geographic reference that supplies place name and location
information. When a place name is known, a gazetteer can provide
the coordinates of the place. Most atlases contain gazetteers. Well-
known digital gazetteers are the USGS Geographic Names
Information System (GNIS) and the gazetteer in the Digital Chart of
the World (DCW).
geographic feature A discrete geographic phenomenon such as a lake, city or building.

ARC/INFO represents features in coverages with its vector data
model. Abstract entities such as item footprints are also geographic
features.
georeference To establish the relationship of one data set to another through

reference to common locations in both data sets. For example, a
satellite image can be georeferenced to data stored in a coverage.
Georeferencing requires that data be placed in a common coordinate
system.

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Glossary
6 J-5655/CH
GIS Geographic information system. An organized collection of computer

hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to
efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all
forms of geographically referenced information. Complex spatial
analysis and geographic data processing is possible with a GIS that
would be difficult, time-consuming, or impracticable otherwise.
GPS Global positioning system. A system of geostationary satellites,

ground receivers, and associated software that provides an
electronically instrumented means of determining position on the
earth.
GUI Graphical user interface. A graphical method of controlling how a

user interacts with a computer to perform various tasks. Instead of
issuing commands at a prompt, the user performs tasks by choosing
from a "dashboard" of options presented by the GUI on the display
screen. These options are in the form of pictorial buttons (icons) and
lists. The user interacts with the system using a mouse to point and
click.
holdings A library collection. Traditionally, library holdings have been items

such as books, maps, photographs, or other items in a special
collection. Some holdings may be digital, such as a satellite image or
a vector data set. Metadata is information about holdings, as holdings
are often information about reality.
IAC InterApplication communication. The capability of one computer

program to communicate with another program. With IAC, two (or
more) programs can execute simultaneously, share data, and make
requests of each other. ARC/INFO Rev. 7 and ArcView Version 2
support interapplication communication with each other and other
programs.
image A graphic representation or description of an object that is typically

produced by an optical or electronic device. Common examples
include remotely sensed data such as satellite date, scanned data, and
photographs. An image is stored as a raster data set of binary or
integer values representing the intensity of reflected light, heat, or
another range of values on the electromagnetic spectrum.
May 1994
Glossary
J-5655/CH 7
input resolution The scanning resolution used to create a digital image of a holding. In
many cases, this resolution is chosen as the highest, or most detailed,
resolution the image is required to have. Other less detailed images,
such as a browse image, can be derived from the input image by
resampling.
Internet An international consortium of wide area networks that operate using a

standard set of addresses, allowing machine-to-machine connectivity
on a global scale. The Internet is an outgrowth of a Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) research project in the
early 1970s to provide connectivity between scientists running
computer simulations in different locations. Additional regional,
private, and public networks have joined the Internet over time. At
this point there are over one million computers that now have direct
access to the resources on the Internet.
ISBN International Standard Book Number. A unique number used to

identify published monograph material.
ISO 9660 A standard for the organization of data on CD–ROM media established
by the International Standards Organization.
ISSN International Standard Serial Number. A unique number used to

identify published serial material.
LAN Local area network. Computer data communications technology that

connects computers at the same site. Computers and terminals on a
LAN can freely share data and peripheral devices, such as printers and
plotters. LANs are composed of cabling and special data
communications hardware and software.
Landsat A series of satellites that produce images of the earth.
macro language A programming language that can execute a sequence of commands as

one command. Macros can be built to perform frequently used, as
well as complex, operations. The ARC Macro Language (AML) is
used to create macros for ARC/INFO; the Avenue scripting language
is used to create macros for ArcView.

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Glossary
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magnetic disk A storage medium consisting of a spinning disk coated with a

magnetic material for recording digital information.
MARC Machine Readable Catalog. A standard file format used in on-line

card catalogs.
metadata Metadata is information about the content, quality, condition, and

other characteristics of information kept in a database. Metadata is
software accessible, and therefore is vital in the development of
advanced database systems, such as a digital spatial library.
MIL Map and Imagery Laboratory, University of California at Santa

Barbara, Davidson Library.
monochrome An image that stores a digital picture as a set of black-and-white

pixels.
Mosaic Software used to access resources on the Internet. The Mosaic project
has been conducted by the National Center for Supercomputing
Applications (NCSA) in Illinois to provide a single front-end or user
interface to many information services. The goal is to present the
query to, and results from, each of these different information
resources in a similar way to minimize the number of "systems" one
must be familiar with to successfully navigate the Internet. Mosaic
relies on the existence of servers; it does not serve information of its
own. Mosaic client software exists for X Windows, Macintosh, and
Microsoft Windows. Computers must be connected to the Internet to
use Mosaic.
MSS Multispectral scanner. An instrument on some satellites used for

imaging the earth. An MSS image will have data recorded by the
scanner from three or more bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.
multimedia The use of several different types of data at the same time. For
example, the digital spatial library data discovery tool is a multimedia
application because it can access and display cartographic, tabular, and
image data at the same time.
May 1994
Glossary
J-5655/CH 9
optical disk A digital data storage technology that uses optical media to store
information. Optical disks are slower, but store more data and cost
less per unit of data stored than magnetic disks. Several optical
platters can be installed in a single device called a jukebox. Optical
disks are used when very large amounts of data need to be stored.
petabyte A measure of data size. One petabyte is equivalent to 1,000 terabytes.
pixel Short for "picture element." A pixel is a cell in a raster image. An

image with 100 x 100 resolution will have 10,000 pixels. Each pixel
can be represented with one bit for black-and-white monochrome
images, or more bits for grayscale or color images.
quadrangle A four-sided figure, bounded by parallels of latitude and meridians of

longitude, used as an area unit in mapping. A well-known map series
is the USGS 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle. Each map in this
map series covers 7.5 degrees of latitude and longitude and provides
basic earth information such as elevation, hydrography, vegetation,
and cultural features such as roads and buildings.
region An ARC/INFO feature class for representing areal geographic

features. Using regions, you can represent a single geographic feature
as one or more polygons (e.g., the state of Hawaii represented as
several polygons). In addition, you can represent features that
overlap (e.g., map footprints from different map series) or a single
feature in a time series (e.g., several satellite images of the same area
from different times of the year or several maps of the same area with
different publication dates).
In digital spatial library applications, regions are used to represent

footprints of holdings, with associated attributes identifying their
temporal extent.
resampling The process of reducing image data set size by representing a group of
pixels with a single pixel. Thus, pixel count is lowered, individual
pixel size is increased, and overall image geographic extent is retained.
Resampled images are "coarse" and have less information than the
images from which they are taken.

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resolution A measure of the size of a sampling unit used to create an image data
set. The greater the resolution, the more information is preserved
from the original source. Resolution is often expressed in dots per
inch for scanners and in pixel size for satellite data.
satellite image A picture of the earth taken from an earth-orbital satellite. Satellite
images may be produced photographically, or by on-board scanners
(e.g., MSS).
scale The extent of reduction needed to display a representation of the

earth's surface on a map. A statement of a measure on the map and
the equivalent measure on the earth's surface, often expressed as a
representative fraction of distance, such as 1:24,000 (one unit of
distance on the map represents 24,000 of the same units of distance on
the earth). Map scale can also be expressed as a statement of
equivalence using different units; for example, 1 inch = 1 mile or
1 inch = 2,000 feet.
Scale can be used as a measure of viewable detail; small scale implies

less detail is visible, large scale implies more detail is visible. Thus,
scale can be used to control display; as scale increases (becomes larger
and more "zoomed in") more detail can be displayed without
overcrowding the screen display.
scripting language (See macro language.)
SDTS Spatial Data Transfer Standard. A federal standard designed to

support the transfer of different types of geographic and cartographic
spatial data. A wide variety of raster and vector data types, models,
and structures, as well as associated attribute data, can be transferred
between dissimilar systems using SDTS. Also known as federal
information processing standard (FIPS) 173.
system design The methodology of creating a computer system that takes into
account such factors as user needs, performance levels, database
design, hardware specifications, and data management.
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Glossary
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tabular data Data stored in a format of records and columns (e.g., as a table).
Tabular data are commonly numeric or text data. DBMS technology is
used to manage tabular data. Part of the ARC/INFO data model is
tabular data that represent the attributes of geographic features.
terabyte A measure of data size. A terabyte of data is equivalent to

1,000 gigabytes of data or 1,000,000 megabytes of data.
theme A collection of geographic objects defined by the user. Examples of

themes in digital libraries include footprints, background cartography,
and place names. In ARC/INFO, themes are represented by a
coverage. (See also feature class.)
TIFF Tagged Interchange File Format. An industry-standard raster data

format. ARC/INFO supports the TIFF format using a variety of
compression standards. TIFF is commonly used for grayscale data.
USGS United States Geological Survey.
USMARC The MARC file definition supported by the Library of Congress.

(See MARC.)
vector A coordinate-based spatial data structure commonly used to represent

geographic features. For example, a linear feature is represented as an
ordered list of x,y coordinates.
WAIS Wide-Area Information Server. A client/server software system

which provides sophisticated indexing of files based on all words in
each file and provides scoring and "relevance feedback" of documents
to its client. The client then selects which file or files to retrieve from
the server from a list of file or document titles, ranked by a score
assigned by the software. Searching can include Boolean constructs
and access to structured information systems (like databases) through
its compliance with ANSI standard Z39.50, maintained by the library
community.

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WAN Wide area network. A system of computers connected over a large

area. Typically, a WAN is composed of individual computers or local
area networks connected through high-speed dedicated telephone
lines. WAN connections can also be made through satellite links and
fiber optic cable. The Internet is an example of a WAN.
World Wide Web Developed by the CERN consortium in Switzerland as a distributed

hypermedia server. It allows one to prepare electronic documents that
(WWW) are composites of, or pointers to, many different files of potentially
different types, scattered across the world. It employs a hypertext
markup language (html) to create the documents it serves and to
follow "links" known as Universal Resource Locators (URLs) to
fetch the document from elsewhere on the Internet. A WWW server
does not provide search capabilities, rather it provides explicit linkage
between files on the Internet using hypertext. This allows one to
organize information in a particular way, but, unless the links exist,
does not permit the discovery of other information that was not
associated by the author. WWW can be accessed by Mosaic.
May 1994
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Appendix A
Sample Metadata The following table describes a sample "cataloging template" designed
for Spatial Data to merge two tabular metadata standards relevant to a digital library of
Based on FGDC and spatial data. Because it adheres to emerging metadata standards, this
USMARC Standards metadata concept is particularly relevant to libraries considering spatial
data automation and data sharing with other libraries.
The two standards referenced are

Content Standards for Spatial Metadata, Drafts of January 25,
1994, and July 23, 1993. Federal Geographic Data Committee
(FGDC).
Fields from the Library of Congress's Machine-Readable
Cataloging format (USMARC). FGDC/USMARC field
equivalencies and USMARC tags from Crosswalk between
USMARC and CSSM, 3/1/94, The Library of Congress,
Geography and Map Division.
This is not a definitive record, but merely an example of relevant

metadata for spatial digital libraries. Authorities in the field are
continuing to evolve a "reconciliation" between the two standards.
The fields are an example of a "brief" tabular metadata record for
spatial data—a minimum amount of metadata to be gathered and
entered. Other metadata may well be relevant and could be added to
the brief record. Complete tabular metadata creates the "full" metadata
record—these "full record" fields can be maintained in this or in
another table.

Telex 910 332 1317
Appendix A
A-2 J-5655/CH
In a GIS database these metadata records could exist in a "related

table" to the spatial metadata. This metadata table can be indexed as
needed to improve performance of the Data Discovery application.
METADATA FIELD— FGDC FIELD DEFINITION

FGDC TERM or (OTHER) USMARC TAG (OTHER DESCRIPTION)
DATA SET IDENTITY 245 Name or title by which the data set is known.
BEGINNING DATE OF 045 Earliest or only date for which the data are valid.
INFORMATION CONTENT
ENDING DATE OF 045 Latest date for which the data are valid.
INFORMATION CONTENT
NATIVE DATA SET 538 A description of the data set in the producer's processing
ENVIRONMENT environment. For digital data, include such items as the
name of the software (including version), the computer
operating system, file name (including host, path, and
file names), and the data set size. For nondigital spatial
data (such as maps), include a discussion of the medium
and the scale.
BOUNDING COORDINATES 255$c & 034$d, e, f, g The limits of coverage of a data set expressed by latitude
and longitude values in the order westernmost,
easternmost, northernmost, and southernmost.
THEME KEYWORD 650$a Common-use word or phrase used to describe the
thematic content of a data set.
BROWSE GRAPHIC 856, 856$f, 856$z A graphic that provides an illustration of the data set.
The graphic can include a legend for interpreting the
graphic. Note: this field provides the link to the
browse graphic required by the Data Discovery tool.
DISTRIBUTION CONTACT 856$m The party from whom the data set may be obtained.
CONTACT PERSON PRIMARY 100, 100$u The person and the affiliation of the person associated
with the data set. Used in cases where the association of
the person with the data set is more significant than the
association of the organization with the data set.
CONTACT ORGANIZATION 110 The organization and the member of the organization
PRIMARY associated with the data set. Used in cases where the
association of the organization with the data set is more
significant than the association of the person with the
data set.
(CALL NUMBER OF HOLDING e.g., 050, 090, 099 (Filing location of item in a given holding library.)
LIBRARY)
(DATES OF PUBLICATION) 008, 11-14 (Date of publication for holding, as distinct from date of
information content of holding.)
(PLACE OF PUBLICATION 260 $a,b (a is place; b is publisher.)
AND PUBLISHER)
(EDITION) 250 (Edition for hard-copy holding; Version for digital
holding.)
May 1994
Appendix A
J-5655/CH A-3
METADATA FIELD, USMARC TAG FGDC FIELD DEFINITION

FGDC TERM or (OTHER) (OTHER DESCRIPTION)
(MAINTENANCE AND 310 (The current stated frequency of an item. Dates are
UPDATE FREQUENCY) included when the beginning date of the current
frequency is not the same as the beginning date of
publication.)
(SERIES) 4XX, 8XX (The 4xx fields contain an author/title or a title used as a
series statement in bibliographic records. The 800–830
fields contain a name/title or a title used as a series added
entry when the series statement is contained in field 490
[Series Statement] or field 500 [General Note] and a
series-added entry is required for the bibliographic
record.)
(GENERAL NOTE) 500 (Any statement that cataloger believes is important to
user of the data that will not fit in anywhere else. There
is a specified order of notes, which generally follows the
order of fields in the record. So, for example, notes on
the projection [255$b] would come before notes on the
publisher [260$b].)
(CONTENTS) 505 (The titles of separate works or parts of an item or the
table of contents of a finding aid for materials under
archival control. The field may also contain statements
of responsibility and volume numbers or other
sequential designations.)
ACCESS RESTRICTIONS 506 Restrictions imposed on access or distribution of the
data set.
(LEADER INFORMATION) USMARC record, (24 byte USMARC record header, holds a variety of
bytes 00-23 information.)
(ISBN or ISSN) 020 (ISBN is International Standard Book Number; ISSN is
International Standard Serial Number.)
(CATALOGING SOURCE) 040 (A code for the library that did the cataloging. Assigned
by the Library of Congress.)
(CONTROL NUMBER) 001, System Supplied (The unique number that any given database
management software assigns to each holding, varies by
DBMS.)
(DATE ENTERED ON FILE) 008, position 00-05, (Date a given record was actually entered into a given
System Supplied on-line catalog/database system. Important to note the
difference between date of data, date of publication, and
date entered on file.)
METADATA DATE 583 The date that the metadata was created or last updated.
(FEATURE-IDENTIFIER) No USMARC (Unique identifier number that links this tabular
Equivalent metadata record to the associated spatial metadata or
"footprint.")
USMARC TAG 650$a equates to USMARC field 650, subfield "a."

Note

Telex 910 332 1317
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RESTRICTED RIGHTS LEGEND

An ESRI White Paper

Libraries and GIS 1

Trends, Emerging Technologies and

Building a Digital Spatial Library with GIS—

Appendix A—Sample Metadata for Spatial A-1

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (909) 793-2853

Libraries and GIS

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (909) 793-2853

The public service challenge due to millions of maps, petabytes of

There are many philosophical, technical, and institutional reasons why

Because location is a powerful way to organize information, as

Searching for geographic information, via a mixture of graphic

Integrating analog and digital geographic information sets

Making hard-copy (e.g., plotter) output of the results

Performing various kinds of analysis with spatial information

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (909) 793-2853

Public Schools. K–12 schools are focused on using the digital

Public Libraries. Local public libraries can use digital libraries to

University, Archival, and Research Libraries. University libraries

Federal Depository Libraries will coordinate digital library

Data Producers. Federal agencies can use digital library

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (909) 793-2853

Society is now producing more information than at any other time in

National The federal government has undertaken initiatives to create a National

The Internet global computer network has already shown what is

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dramatically as institutions, industry and individuals discover the

Emerging Computer technology is maturing in ways that make digital libraries

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (909) 793-2853

Imagine a "point-and-click" operation used to indicate a point on a

Geography The organizing principle of geography can provide intuitive data

Entering Metadata for a

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (909) 793-2853

Images The simple display of a picture is an elegant way to determine data

Metadata The digital library must have a user-searchable, software-accessible

Digital spatial libraries expand the concept of metadata to include other

Browse Image Tabular Metadata Spatial Metadata

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Together, tabular and vector metadata form a logical metadata record.

It is perfectly feasible to design a digital spatial library that has only

Note: Metadata should conform to standards. The Appendix shows a

Items are georeferenced in coordinate systems. A familiar coordinate

Data access pathways are the methods employed by library users to

No two digital libraries will be exactly alike. Their differences will be

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (909) 793-2853

Data Access Pathways

Point and Click Flight 2732

Area of Interest Flight 2732

flight.date < 1/10/92

Enter place_name: Sisquoc Gazetteer Flight 2732

A digital spatial library as defined in this White Paper is characterized

A multimedia database comprised of text, relational, image, and

Use of metadata (data about data) to describe the holdings in

A system design that encompasses the full database life cycle

The hardware, software, staff, data, and procedures needed to

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Spatial analysis functions that allow geographical search

Open systems architecture, application programming interface

Full-time staff committed to university, library and K–12 relations