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1 – 10 of 374The purpose of this paper is to describe the procedure for near-automation of the most commonly used manual georeferencing technique in a desktop GIS environment for historic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the procedure for near-automation of the most commonly used manual georeferencing technique in a desktop GIS environment for historic aerial photographs strip in library archives.
Design/methodology/approach
Most of the archived historic aerial photography consists of series of aerial photographs that overlap to some extent, as the optimal overlap ratio is known as 60 percent by photogrammetric standard. Therefore, conjugate points can be detected for the overlapping area. The first image was georeferenced manually by six-parameter affine transformation using 2013 National Agriculture Imagery Program images as ground truths. Then, conjugate points were detected in the first and second images using Speeded Up Robust Features and Random Sample Consensus. The ground space coordinates of conjugate points were estimated using the first image’s six parameters. Then the second image’s six parameters were calculated using conjugate points’ ground space coordinates and pixel coordinates in the second image. This procedure was repeated until the last image was georeferenced. However, error accumulated as the number of photographs increased. Therefore, another six-parameter affine transformation was implemented using control points in the first, middle, and last images. Finally, the images were warped using open source GIS tools.
Findings
The result shows that historic aerial strip collections can be georeferenced with far less time and labor using the technique proposed compared with the traditional manual georeferencing technique in a desktop GIS environment.
Research limitations/implications
The suggested approach will promote the usage of historic aerial photographs for various scientific purposes including land use and land cover change detection, soil erosion pattern recognition, agricultural practices change analysis, environmental improvement assessment, and natural habitat change detection.
Practical implications
Most commonly used georeferencing procedures for historic aerial photographs in academic libraries require significant time and effort for manual measurement of conjugate points in the object images and the ground truth images. By maximizing the automation of georeferencing procedures, the suggested approach will save significant time and effort of library workforce.
Social implications
With the suggested approach, large numbers of historic aerial photographs can be rapidly georeferenced. This will allow libraries to provide more geospatial data to scientific communities.
Originality/value
This is a unique approach to rapid georeferencing of historic aerial photograph strips.
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Holley Long, Kathryn Lage and Christopher Cronin
To provide the results of research to evaluate the usability of a University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries digital initiatives project that provides online access to historical…
Abstract
Purpose
To provide the results of research to evaluate the usability of a University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries digital initiatives project that provides online access to historical Aerial Photographs of Colorado.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper describes usability testing conducted as a part of a user‐centered redesign. The three stages of the evaluation – a requirements analysis, a heuristic evaluation, and user testing – are explained and the findings are discussed.
Findings
The usability testing revealed the needs of the project's target user group and identified issues with the interface that will be addressed in its redesign. It has also contributed to the larger understanding of how researchers use digital Aerial Photographs and their preferred methods of access and desired functionalities.
Practical implications
Results from the study will be used to guide the redesign of the Aerial Photographs of Colorado digital library and can be generalized to add to a broader understanding of the usability requirements for a digital library of geospatial materials. Libraries providing a digital collection of geospatial materials may use these findings to inform design decisions.
Originality/value
Much research has been done on the use and evaluation of digital libraries, but few articles have reported on usability studies of online collections of cartographic materials similar in structure to Aerial Photographs of Colorado. It is hoped that these findings will be instructive to librarians designing and evaluating similar digital libraries.
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Birger Stichelbaut, Gertjan Plets and Keir Reeves
Over a century of state-sponsored construction of monuments, historic mythmaking and nationalist framings of WWI has ensured that it has become notoriously difficult to present…
Abstract
Purpose
Over a century of state-sponsored construction of monuments, historic mythmaking and nationalist framings of WWI has ensured that it has become notoriously difficult to present the heritage of the Great War in an inclusive and non-selective way. In this paper the authors present a strategy and technology-driven solutions to overcome the selective heritage curation of modern conflict.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on a suite of tools, applications and cultural heritage management plans developed by the In Flanders Fields Museum (IFFM), this paper explores the challenges of preserving and curating conflict heritage. The authors investigate the philosophy, cultural heritage management strategies and exhibitions used to curate the heritage of the Ypres Salient (Belgium).
Findings
The paper argues that historical aerial photographs integrated in multimedia exhibits present themselves as a fascinating source bringing the landscape within the walls of the museum. Mobile augmented reality (AR) applications developed by the museum go one step beyond and bring museum techniques to the landscape.
Research limitations/implications
This paper presents a strategy to present, manage and curate the entirety of conflict heritage from the modern period. Faced with growing politicisation and memorialisation of modern conflict, it is extremely important that inclusive heritage management and curation is insured. The reflections on different curatorial techniques used by the IFFM can contribute globally towards a better heritage engagement.
Practical implications
An innovative and meaningful framework enables a more historically nuanced visitor experience to key heritage sites throughout the Ypres Salient.
Social implications
Ensuring a non-selective heritage experience is especially pressing today. Over the past century canonised and national narratives have prescribed our understanding of the First World War across Europe and beyond.
Originality/value
Adopting a critical stance towards the proliferation in AR apps and applying theories from anthropology and phenomenology has been developed combining AR with arboreal landscape relics.
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Christopher Cronin, Kathryn Lage and Holley Long
To present a case study of a digital initiative for cartographic materials in order to provide a reference for other institutions embarking on similar projects.
Abstract
Purpose
To present a case study of a digital initiative for cartographic materials in order to provide a reference for other institutions embarking on similar projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Describes the technical and practical details of the processes involved in georeferencing and providing online access to scanned aerial photographs.
Findings
In the short time that the site has been live, the Map Library has already seen a marked increase in reference queries from both local and national users.
Practical implications
From a practical standpoint, the project would not have been a success without collaboration between map, metadata, and systems librarians.
Originality/value
To date, little has been published about digital initiatives projects providing online access to historical aerial photographs, a distinct and complex subset of cartographic materials. It is hoped that this case study will allow other institutions to learn from the approach and experience of the University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries.
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Stephanie C. Haas, Erich Kesse, Mark Sullivan, Randall Renner and Joe Aufmuth
Purpose – To describe an LSTA‐funded project that digitized 88,000 black and white aerial photographs and 2,500 photomosaic indexes created for Florida by the US Department of…
Abstract
Purpose – To describe an LSTA‐funded project that digitized 88,000 black and white aerial photographs and 2,500 photomosaic indexes created for Florida by the US Department of Agriculture between 1938 and 1971. Technical specifications of digital capture, specialized programming, and project value are reviewed. Design/methodology/approach – The 9 × 9 inch aerial tiles were captured on flatbed scanners; the larger photomosaic indexes were captured using a large format camera. Three software tools were designed for the project: the first tracked each tile through the entire in‐house processing including receipt, assignment, scan completion, QC processing, FTPing to server, and archiving of images. The second automated image collection, from disparate scanning stations, performed basic image manipulation for quality control, and stored collected data in a database. The third tool performed routine image corrections, prepared and deployed web format images, and packed archival image formats preparatory to burning CDs. The tile layer of the GIS interface was created by georectifying the composite photomosaic indexes for each Florida county and linking tiles to appropriate points. Findings – Because aerial photographs are inherently spatial, the development team agreed that a GIS interface was the appropriate vehicle for web presentation. While this environment presents no difficulties for more sophisticated users, GIS functionality is not intuitive. A less complex interface is a top priority for future project refinements. Originality/value – The value of this project is documented in terms of site use and solicited user responses.
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The purpose of this paper is to contribute to debates about environmental policy in developing countries by examining how far sustainable livelihoods approaches (SLAs) to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to debates about environmental policy in developing countries by examining how far sustainable livelihoods approaches (SLAs) to development may allow an alternative and less universalistic approach to environmental changes such as soil erosion.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides an overview of debates about environmental narratives and SLAs. There are tensions in both debates, about how far local institutions represent adaptations to predefined environmental risks, or instead enable a redefinition of risks according to the experience of poor people. In addition, there is a tension in how far SLAs should be seen as a fixed institutional design, or as a framework for organizing ideas and concerns about development. The paper presents research on soil erosion in Thailand as a case study of how SLAs can redefine risks from erosion for poor people.
Findings
SLAs provide a more contextual analysis of how environmental changes such as soil erosion represent risk to different land users, and hence SLAs can make environmental interventions more relevant for reducing vulnerability. But this approach can only succeed if intervener agencies are willing to consider challenging pre‐existing environmental narratives in order to empower local livelihoods.
Originality/value
The paper adds to existing research on SLAs by exploring the implications of SLAs for redefining environmental assumptions. The paper forms part of work aiming to make debates about the politics of environmental knowledge and science more practically relevant within development policy.
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The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the need to educate and encourage students to seek an ethical realm in which the researcher not only accurately analyses and documents a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the need to educate and encourage students to seek an ethical realm in which the researcher not only accurately analyses and documents a problem, but also actually advocates involvement to mitigate negative impacts.
Design/methodology/approach
Geographic information systems (GIS) applications are used in the paper to demonstrate that data from a stream of diverse sources can be manipulated by selectively stressing certain information, by deliberately excluding pertinent information, or by interlacing statements taken out of context to concoct an entirely different meaning.
Findings
The paper finds that, in response to an escalation of academic misconduct among students and researchers competing for jobs and grants, numerous disciplines have established codes of ethics.
Practical implications
Understanding that formal curricula designed to raise an awareness of moral issues and affect ethical reasoning have proven to be successful, a GIS code of ethics and an ethics workshop outline are presented.
Originality/value
The validity of a GIS, or any other depiction of data, should be carefully examined, as data classification schemes can be problematic. This paper emphasises the need for students and researchers to be well versed in the scientific method, which involves self‐awareness combined with honesty, scepticism, and integrity.
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This review aims to provide a snapshot of digital library research of the past 11 years (1997‐2007) that focuses on organisational and people issues, including those concerning…
Abstract
Purpose
This review aims to provide a snapshot of digital library research of the past 11 years (1997‐2007) that focuses on organisational and people issues, including those concerning the social/cultural, legal, ethical, and use dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
The review covers articles published in mainstream peer‐reviewed library and information science/studies journals. The analysis was done by drawing on a sample of 577 articles published in both academic and professional LIS journals.
Findings
The analysis reveals that there are several topics that are dominant in the sample. There are significant research streams into one or more aspects of digital library use and usability, organisational and economical issues, as well as legal issues. In comparison, there is very little research in the sample that addresses ethical issues and social/cultural issues. D‐Lib Magazine tops the list as the journal with the highest number of articles published and in spite of some fluctuations, there was an overall upwards trend for journal publications in these research areas. The years with the largest numbers of works published in these areas in the study sample were 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Research limitations/implications
It would be inaccurate to claim that the literature searches conducted in this study include every relevant journal article. They provide an extensive but not comprehensive sample. Also, to account for inconsistencies in indexing, a range of descriptors related to “digital library” was used in the searches in conjunction with other descriptors representing the various topics related to organisational and people issues. Nevertheless, this does not take into account journal articles that do not mention any of the digital library terms and yet, may discuss digital library themes. Hence, certain issues might have been under‐represented in this study.
Originality/value
This review and meta‐analysis is the first that focuses on analysing digital library research that has a focus on organisational and people issues. Given the manifestos that digital libraries are to grow into socio‐technical systems that function within an organisation and society, the subject area as a whole has also evolved over the years, with a move away from purely technical issues towards the application, use and effectiveness issues. Therefore, it is highly likely that research into these emerging issues will continue to grow and this review provides a preliminary overview of this important development as well as a point of departure to highlight gaps in the literature.
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Lauren Heather Mandel, Bradley Wade Bishop and Ashley Marie Orehek
The purpose of this paper is to explore library research that uses geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool to evaluate library services and resources to ascertain current…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore library research that uses geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool to evaluate library services and resources to ascertain current trends and establish future directions for this growing research area.
Design/methodology/approach
The study searched full text for geographic information systems in two databases: Library and Information Science Source (LISS) and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA), replicating the method used in a prior literature review. The titles and abstracts of the search results were analyzed to gather only the research that used GIS as a tool to measure and analyze library services.
Findings
This study found growth in the last decade for library research using GIS. There remain two ways the tool is primarily used: to analyze service areas and to manage facilities and collections.
Practical implications
The findings are relevant for library and information science researchers and practitioners because they summarize a specific area of research that has grown and changed and that still has potential to be used more widely. Using GIS in practice and research could benefit all library users and nonusers because spatial analysis facilitates more precise and informed delivery of services and resources.
Originality/value
The paper provides future directions for use of GIS in library research and attempts to define subdivisions within this research area to clarify the area for researchers and practitioners.
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