Enhancing Library Map Access: Introducing MapHappy Mashup Tool for Minnesota Library Collections
Discover how librarians at the University of Minnesota developed MapHappy, an innovative mashup tool that combines various data sources to improve the accessibility of library map collections. This web application allows users to easily locate and interact with maps by integrating MARC records with geographic coordinates. Through a phased approach, we cleaned data, built a robust database, and designed an intuitive interface. MapHappy enriches the search experience, ensuring users link directly to digital maps and resources. Try it today!
Enhancing Library Map Access: Introducing MapHappy Mashup Tool for Minnesota Library Collections
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Presentation Transcript
Google Map “Mashups” A New Method for Locating and Accessing Library Map Collections Kristi Jensen, Map LibrarianUniversity of Minnesota – Twin Cities
How do users find maps? Can we improve it? Searching for maps is hard. Browsing is inconvenient. Why not? .
MapHappy : Why not “a mashup is a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool.” -Wikipedia Example: Some Map MARC records have coordinates. Embedded map applications, like Google Maps, allow you to map them. Librarians (testing their programming skills) can combine them into “a single integrated tool” that we call: MapHappy.
MapHappy : How we did it Step 1: Get the data Step 2: Build the database Step 3: Map to interface
MapHappy : Phase 1 Step 1: Get the data A focus on Minnesota Maps.
MapHappy : Phase 1 The pilot showed about 66% of the records had some coordinate info. Records that can’t be displayed on the map can still be displayed as search results….so results are similar to those from an OPAC search. Step 1: Get the data
MapHappy : Phase 1 Many records contained faulty data and required clean-up. Outliers were easier to identify during the pilot phase. Minnesota maps in Missouri? Step 1: Get the data
MapHappy : Phase 2 The corrected records were downloaded into a separate database with the MARC fields we found valuable. Step 2: Build the database
MapHappy : Phase 2 Gaining access to a university server to run a SQL database was not easy. Step 2: Build the database ACCESS DENIED
MapHappy : Phase 3 The Google Map API is open source code, but “some assembly required.” Step 3: Map to interface
MapHappy : Phase 3 The map interface displays maps based on their center point, then links back to the catalog record. Step 3: Map to interface
MapHappy : How we did it Step 1: Get the data Step 2: Build the database Step 3: Map to interface
Roadmap to Success! Step 1: Get the data Step 2: Build the database Step 3: Map to interface ACCESS DENIED
MapHappy : Issues • Scalability to records with no coordinates? • Solutions: create coords programmatically based on subject-headers • Clean-up records manually using physical map coordinates. • Incorporation into formal library catalog? • User testing suggested that users expect each record in Map-happy to link to a digital map… • How to incorporate digital maps/air photos • User-interface (source code bare-bones…need php and mysql queries for searching and linking back to results…programmer!) • Many, many more….
MapHappy : Try it out! http://www-dev.lib.umn.edu/scieng
