Pieter A. van Brakel and Martie Pienaar
Geographic information systems (GIS) are increasingly being used for effective accessibility to spatial data. A GIS comprises much more than the mere storage of data: spatial data…
Abstract
Geographic information systems (GIS) are increasingly being used for effective accessibility to spatial data. A GIS comprises much more than the mere storage of data: spatial data of the earth is being manipulated to create new information, perform complex spatial analyses, and generate maps and reports. An automated GIS system consists of an integrated digital database containing information about geographic features (points, lines and areas); the hardware, software and people used in the analysis of the features (geographic coordinate data); and a description of features (attribute data). It also provides the ability to query, manipulate and analyse the data. However, certain problems exist in the way access is gained to geographic data. Currently geographic data sets (e.g. maps) are scattered across South Africa and the world, with no standardised method of accessing them. Data needed by a specific GIS system must be ‘ordered’ or downloaded from a remote site. No centralised index to existing geographic data exists. The results from a specific GIS analysis are not necessarily directly available to others. When downloading and thus duplicating a set of complex data from an external site, with the purpose of further manipulation, the copy gradually becomes less current when compared to the original data set. In this paper it is argued that most of these problems can be addressed effectively by making GIS data and information available via the Internet's World Wide Web. By creating hypertext links between different GIS sites, data sets could be shared between sites: a type of online atlas system with a task‐oriented user interface geared towards map creation and fact extraction could be developed. A number of experimental interfaces between GIS application software and the Web have already been developed: these and other approaches are discussed.
Martie Pienaar and Pieter van Brakel
Users of geographic information systems (GIS) often need immediate access to current data and information for proper analysis of GIS data. In the past, datasets were captured by…
Abstract
Users of geographic information systems (GIS) often need immediate access to current data and information for proper analysis of GIS data. In the past, datasets were captured by an organisation to serve specific purposes and were mainly used by specialists within that organisation. The capturing of datasets represents substantial investments for each organisation to maintain specialised GIS databases, and results in exorbitant levels of duplication. The high cost involved in data capturing and the lack of efficient access to existing digital data stress the importance of finding alternatives to enhance GIS data sharing on a national scale. Although this need for data sharing exists, some issues limit the ability to share. However, the advent of the World Wide Web (WWW) provides a breakthrough alternative to data sharing. This paper outlines the limitations of traditional data sharing techniques and proposes a solution to data sharing via the web.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to report on papers presented at the ninth annual Southern African online user group conference on 3‐5 June 2008 in Pretoria.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on papers presented at the ninth annual Southern African online user group conference on 3‐5 June 2008 in Pretoria.
Design/methodology/approach
Conference report.
Findings
The focus was very much on the changes facing librarians daily, changes in users as well as in technology. This was addressed in subthemes such as the Google generation, news alerting services, institutional repositories and end‐user training.
Originality/value
Librarians must be on the forefront of innovative use of technology if they are to attract and retain the new users.