Explorations in Mapping Cathy Moulder Director of Library Services Maps

							Explorations
 in Mapping


                 Cathy Moulder
Director of Library Services, Maps, Data & GIS
          McMaster University Library
                 Earth Sci 3AA3
                September 2008
          Session Outline
• Early cartography in Canada
• “Professional mapping”
• Geographic Information Systems
  (GIS)
• Web 2.0 and NeoGeography
• Role of the University Map Collection
Early Cartography in Canada




 Munster 1540
          A Quintal of Cod

Rasmusio 1606
        Passage to the Orient




Du Val 1664
   Explored Coast to Coast




McKenzie 1797
Were These “Professional” Maps?
     “Professional Mapping”
• What makes a map “professional”?
   Geographic professionals
   Authoritative publisher
   High and consistent standards
   Content = reliability, accuracy, currency
   Cartographic elements required to use
   Bibliographic elements required to cite
 Advent of “Professional” Mapping
Topographic maps:
  Cover the country in a
   mosaic (many sheets
   put together to make
   up a map of the whole
   country)
  Are very detailed
   (some scales show
   every house)
  Show elevation
   features by means of
   contour lines and spot
   heights
        Early Topographic Mapping
                in Canada




30M/5 1909
First Aerial Photography
Now Satellite Imagery
     Printing Topographic Maps
• Copper engraving
• Lithography
• Photozincography
• Offset printing presses
  (each colour done separately)
• Photographic printing from
  plastic sheets & aluminum
  plates
• Plot on demand
        The GIS Revolution
• GIS = Geographic
  Information
  Systems
• Canadian invention
  mid 1980s
• Very powerful tool
  for all kinds of
  analysis about
  earth features
And the Base Data?
   Government Repositioning
• Geospatial data as commodity
• GeoGratis and the liberation of digital
  topographic maps
Government Repositioning
      The NetGen Students
• Some characteristics of “Digital
  Natives”:
   Preference for electronic environments
   Striving to be independent
   Extremely social
   Very creative
   Active involvement
             Web 2.0
• From static   interactive, from
  viewing modifying, from consumer
     creator
• For example: blogs, mashups, wikis,
  photo-sharing sites, social
  networking, etc.
• “Users can own the data on a Web
  2.0 website and excise control over
  that data.”
         “NeoGeography”
“… means „new geography‟ and
 consists of a set of techniques and
 tools that fall outside the realm of
 traditional GIS… Neogeography is
 about people using and creating their
 own maps, on their own terms and
 by combining elements of an existing
 toolset.”
Google Map Mashup
Google Map Mashup
geoGreeting
flickr
Google StreetView
Wikimapia
         Caveat Emptor
• NeoGeographies are not
  professional mapping (but they
  are fun!)
• Be aware of the strengths and
  weaknesses of every map
• And use it for its appropriate
  purpose
    The Role of a University
        Map Collection
• Services
• Teaching partnerships
• Advocate for geographic information
• Collections (historical, modern,
  digital)
• Innovations
Collections (Historical)
Collections (Modern)
Collections (Digital)
             Innovations
• Mission = Canada‟s most innovative &
  user-centred academic library
• ACRL “Excellence in Academic Libraries”
  Award 2007
• Google map mashups
• Wiki projects
• Geography in Second Life
• Curriculum uses of Google Earth
     Cathy Moulder
Director of Library Services
     Maps, Data & GIS
mapref@mcmaster.ca