Adding value to digitizing with GIS
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830810880315 |
| Published date | 13 June 2008 |
| Date | 13 June 2008 |
| Pages | 201-212 |
| Author | Marianne Stowell Bracke,C.C. Miller,Jae Kim |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Adding value to digitizing
with GIS
Marianne Stowell Bracke
Purdue University Libraries – LIFE, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
C.C. Miller
Purdue University Libraries – EAS Library, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, and
Jae Kim
Geomatics Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a project that digitized the 1906 Soil Survey of
Tippecanoe County, Indiana, extracted its contents into full-text and geospatial datasets, and then
built them into a web application designed to approximate but improve upon the way soil surveys are
typically used by soil scientists in their research and field work.
Design/methodology/approach – The components of a 1906 soil survey document were scanned
and their contents were extracted using several different methods, chief among them imagery
segmentation and classification. The resulting datasets included a full-text version of the original
narrative and two georeferenced versions of the soil survey map.
Findings – Going several steps beyond just scanning, including the application of geographic
information system (GIS) capabilities, adds significant value to geospatial materials whose contents
are still relevant but whose formats are cumbersome. In addition, this allows for a GIS platform to
which other maps and content can be added.
Originality/value – This is a unique approach to enhancing content through GIS.
Keywords Geographic information systems, Soil surveys,Agronomy
Paper type Technical paper
Introduction
In November 2007 Purdue University’s Agronomy Department will celebrate its
centennial anniversary. A number of events and programs are planned that will revisit
the history of agronomy, including Purdue’s contribution, while promoting some
understanding and awareness of the current state and future of the field. Agronomy
has changed much over the last 100 years through the use of progressively more
sophisticated technology and the increases in the understanding of soil properties.
Purdue Libraries will support the Agronomy celebration in a number of ways, but the
focus of this paper is a project that digitized the 1906 Soil Survey of Tippecanoe
County, Indiana, extracted its contents into full-text and geospatial datasets, and then
built them into a web application designed to approximate but improve upon the way
soil surveys are typically used by soil scientists in their research and field work. The
result is a mashup, of sorts, that pulls together pre-war analog agronomy and
twenty-first century digital techniques and technologies.
This paper will first provide some context for soil surveys, including their
importance to soil scientists and agronomists as well as the nature of the publications
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Adding value
to digitizing
with GIS
201
Received 30 July 2007
Revised 10 October 2007
Accepted 28 January 2008
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 26 No. 2, 2008
pp. 201-212
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830810880315
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