What is MAGIC?
MAGIC is the University of Connecticut's Map Library--Map
And Geographic
Information Center.
MAGIC's Web site is an online library of digital geospatial data.
A map collection of:
180,000+ sheets of maps supporting the research interests of the University
of Connecticut
a comprehensive collection of state, national and thematic atlases
a comprehensive hydrographic chart collection
a microform collection of geospatial research material relating to
Connecticut
over 50,000 aerial photographs of Connecticut from 1941 to 1995
most material circulates for two weeks
90% cataloged
A collection of digital data of Connecticut, in the public domain, available on
the WWW:
Named streets with address ranges (1:100,000 TIGER, by county and town,
vector data)
Census geography (i.e., block group, tract, 1:100,000 TIGER, by county and
town, vector data)
1970, 1980, & 1990 decennial census data (for town and tracts, by county,
tabular data)
Population data (1:24,000 U.S. Census, tract and town, vector data)
Housing data (1:24,000 U.S. Census, tract and town, vector data)
Surficial Material (1:24,000 ConnDEP, 7.5 min. quad and town, vector data)
Drainage Basin (1:24,000 ConnDEP, 7.5 min. quad and town, vector data)
Soils (1:24,000 SCS, 7.5 min. quad and town, vector data)
Soils (1:250,000 SCS, state, vector data)
Hydrography (1:24,000 ConnDEP, 7.5 min. quad and town, vector data)
Roads (1:24,000 ConnDEP, 7.5 min. quad and town, vector data)
Roads (1:250,000 ConnDEP, state, vector data)
Streets (1:100,000 USCensus, county and town, vector data)
Town Boundary (1:24,000 USGS, 7.5 min. quad and town, vector data)
Town Road Units (1:24,000 ConnDOT, town, vector data)
Tics (1:24,000 ConnDEP, 7.5 min. quad and town, vector data)
National Wetlands Inventory (1:24,000 FWA, 7.5 min. quad, vector data)
Digital Orthophotographs (1:12,000 USGS; quarter 7.5 min. quad, raster data)
Digital Raster Graphics (1:24,000 USGS; 7.5 min. quad, raster data)
A service resource:
During the Academic Year the Map Library is open 9-noon and 1-5, M-F, a
total of 35 hours.
MAGIC is designated as the repository of maps and geospatial data by the
Connecticut State Library.
MAGIC is a statewide resource, serving the citizens of the state.
MAGIC's Web site, available 24 hours a day, receives and responds to users'
needs.
MAGIC's Web site is a library of digital geospatial information. The data
available through FTP are in the public domain, licensed data are available only
on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut.
MAGIC collects data that primarily relates to Connecticut. All of the TIGER
derived data for Connecticut are available in TIGER native ASCII (ZIPed),
MapInfo for Windows (MIF), ARC/INFO (E00). Data from the State's Department
of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S.
Bureau of the Census, and other federal agencies are also available. All
data either have been processed in house, and remain in the public domain, or
were received for public use.
MAGIC uses a file classification system similar to that used in an analog
library. With over 1500 files, and growing rapidly, MAGIC has adapted the
standardized United States Library of Congress
Classification System
to fit a computer's directory/subdirectory heirarchy. The call number indicated
in the HOMER Record is the location in the heirarchically organized MAGIC
server. HOMER is the University of Connecticut's OnLine Public Access Catalog
(OPAC). In the future the users will search HOMER for their Connecticut
geospatial information needs, note the call number, and FTP the geospatial data
from the call number location on MAGIC.
MAGIC's Web site is a dynamic data library; material is constantly being added
and refined. In January 1996 MAGIC updated TIGER 5 data to TIGER 1994. In
January 1996 the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) added
its 1:24,000 scale coverages of roads, hydrography, surficial materials in quad
coverages and town coverages. Most of these data are vector and database. The
Digital Orthophoto Quads (DOQ) for Connecticut will be added as they are
acquired.
Where is the
Map and Geographic Information Center.
MAGIC is located on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs,
Connecticut. There is MAGIC: the Map Library, and MAGIC: the geospatial data
library. The Map Library is a collection of over 180,000 maps, 20,000 aerial
photographs, microforms, atlases, and reference books. The library has a
large-format (36"-wide roll) B&W copier. The Map Library is on Level 4 of the
Homer Babbidge Library, and is open 9-noon and 1-5 Monday through Friday.
Who is MAGIC?
MAGIC Staff:
Bill Miller,
Assistant to the Map Librarian (1996-present)
Student employees
including graduate students from the Department of Geography
Thanks to:
Ben Spaulding; Lead GIS Analyst
Brandon Cramer; GIS Analyst
Robert Cromley; UCCGIA
James Hurd; CLEAR
Pat
McGlamery; Homer Babbidge Library ITS
Who uses MAGIC? The Map Library serves the faculty, staff, and students of the University of
Connecticut:
Open 30 hours a week.
The Map Library is a statewide resource, serving the citizens of the State:
Significant use by the Connecticut business community, such as engineering
consultants.
Significant use by genealogist and historians.
Significant use by K-12 teachers and students.
MAGIC's Web site is an Internet resource, serving the worldwide user community:
It is an archive of digital geospatial data; it is not a digital
library, the data are not maps.
PKZip typically compresses the ASCII data by a 80% ratio.
File transfer by FTP of compressed data through a HTML interface.
MAGIC staff process the data into two ASCII transfer formats: ArcINFO and
MapInfo.
Since January 1996, 2,171,238,499 bytes of compressed data have been
downloaded.
The average file size was 167,198 bytes of compressed data, or 951,765 bytes
uncompressed.
Since January 1996, 12,986 files have been downloaded.
About 34% of the files were downloaded by .edu domain.
About 66% of files were downloaded by non-educational domains (.com, .gov,
.net, etc.).
Receives over 3,000 hits a month
What is the
difference between an online library and a digital library? A library collects, describes, and distributes information. An online library
collects, describes, and distributes information in a networked environment. A
digital library utilizes enhanced computing tools to facilitate the collection,
description, and distribution of information. At this time MAGIC really deals
with digital geospatial data as though they were a book on the shelf. As time
progresses, MAGIC will take advantage of the research and development being
performed by the NSF funded Digital Library Program, and internetwork technology
will become more usable for vector-based information. Currently the WWW really
benefits bitmapped and text based information formats.
What sorts of
information can I find on MAGIC's Web site? MAGIC's Web site is a repository for geospatial data relating to Connecticut and
it includes Geography Reference Web Links.
ESRI offers a free software available for download:
ArcReader. According to the ESRI Web site, "ArcReader is a free, easy-to-use
mapping application that allows users to view, explore, and print maps and
globes."
Where are all
the maps? Maps are a form of spatial information, perhaps our most obvious form. However,
maps are compiled from a variety of information such as U.S. Census numbers,
road types, mathematical elevation numbers surveys, navigational rudders and
pilot books, and even telephone books. All these pieces of information have been
rendered graphically through cartography. Cartography has been a major
interpreter of spatial information for centuries. In MAGIC's Web site, you will
find maps used as ways of accessing our digital geospatial data repository and
you will find images of scanned paper maps, images of generated digital maps,
and pointers to map images on other servers in our Virtual Map Library Reference
Desk. In order to make maps of digital geospatial data, computer hardware, and
computer software are necessary.
What is digital
geospatial information? Digital geospatial information is digital data which are referenced to the
earth's surface through a coordinate system. These can comprise vector datasets,
which are most useful for representing discrete objects in space, such as
roadways or rivers, or raster datasets, which are often used to describe
continuous characteristics of the land, such as elevation or land use. In order
to use these data a computer mapping program or GIS (Geographic Information
System) is needed. Computer mapping software allows existing digital geospatial
data to be aggregated, reassociated, and displayed on a video screen or as
hardcopy output. A GIS permits its user to perform spatial analyses on
geospatial data in much the same way as a database management system or a
spreadsheet permits tabular data to be queried and manipulated, although the
permutations of types of analyses are far more complex.
Where can I get
GIS software? There are a number of software producers. MAGIC points to a few of the major GIS
software developers in the
"Commercial Products" section of the
Geography Reference Web Links page.
Where does the
data come from? Is MAGIC the publisher? MAGIC does not publish data. It does process data into ArcInfo E00, MapInfo 3.0
MIF, and AutoDesk DXF formats. Sources of digital geospatial information are as
varied as the information itself. The federal government provides a great deal
of data through the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of the Census, among
other agencies, and these sources have become industry benchmarks, if not
standards. State and local government agencies also supply geospatial data,
including the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Transportation,
Public Works, Water Resources, Planning and Zoning, and so on. The information
is often translated from paper maps into computer-readable form by optical
scanning or manual digitization. Also, advances in technology have made data
extracted from global positioning satellites (GPS) and remotely-sensed imagery
increasingly more reliable and efficient to use.
What about the
data on MAGIC? In general, all of the various producers of geospatial data have some specific
use in mind for their datasets. For example, local governments might use spatial
modeling functions to assist with zoning and site planning, a state DOT could
generate transportation characteristic projections from land use data, or the
EPA might identify drainage basin effects resulting from proposed construction
using routing analysis. Naturally, these datasets can be used for many other
purposes as well, and private firms have capitalized on this by producing
high-quality general-purpose geospatial datasets. These are frequently purchased
by agencies without the extensive resources necessary to perform the data
collection themselves, or by consulting firms providing support services to such
agencies.
Are the data on
MAGIC's Web site copyrighted? All the data available through FTP in MAGIC are in the public domain.
Are there
errors in the data? You should inspect the data before you use them. MAGIC began adding spatial
metadata (SMD) during Spring 1999. The metadata provide information on the
provenance of the data and contact names.
Who should I
contact if I have questions?
Map and Geographic Information Center Homer Babbidge Library University of Connecticut 369 Fairfield Way, Unit 2005-M Storrs, CT 06269-2005 (860) 486-8065 or (860) 486-4589 sarah.stanwicks@uconn.edu
OR
Bill Miller, Assistant to the Map Librarian Homer Babbidge Library University of Connecticut 369 Fairfield Way, Unit 2005-M Storrs, CT 06269-2005 (860) 486-4779 bill.miller@uconn.edu
What equipment
does MAGIC run on? MAGIC was initially developed as an FTP resource in 1994-1995. The HTTP
WebServer began online service in November 1995. The initial configuration of
the WebServer was a Pentium 90, 32 MB RAM, 2 GB HD, Novel 3.1 OS, running Glaci
HTTPD. It worked, but the Glaci WebServer was severly limited in functionality.
In January 1997, we changed to Windows NT 3.51 Server based platform, same
hardware. This change was to facilitate the move to Netscape's Communications
HTTPD Server. The FTP Server was the generic FTP Server Service included with
Windows NT. We added 3.99 GB HD, and a 6 CD-ROM tower. Work was done using PC
Arc/INFO on a pentium 75 with 16 MB of RAM. This was later upgraded to a P120
with 32 MB of RAM.
In late 1997, MAGIC shared the use of the library's Sun Solaris UltraServer,
with 36 GB of diskspace reserved for MAGIC. This platform served as the MAGIC
WebServer using Apache, and as our first ESRI UNIX Arc/INFO seat. MAGIC also
purchased a HP Scanjet 4C scanner.
In 1998, the UCCGIA purchased 2 Pentium II workstations, with 12 GB of disk
space and 128 MB RAM each. These workstations are used for database
applications, X Windows terminals for the UNIX servers, and for graphic
processing, especially for IDRISI software.
In 1999, MAGIC received a Digital Alpha Server 4100, with 1 GB of RAM, and 40 GB
of disk space. The DEC Alpha ran Netscape FastTrack WebServer (required by ESRI
software), and a full suite of ESRI software: Arc/INFO, ArcView, Internet Map
Server, ArcDoc, Network Analyst.... MAGIC also continued to use 45 GB on the
Libraries' Sun Solaris UltraServer. The UCCGIA also received 2 DEC Alpha 500MHz
workstations as part of the exceptional deal from Digital Corp, now Compaq.
Later that year, we removed Netscape FastTrack WebServer, and are now using
Apache Webservers, MYSQL Database servers, and SAMBA SMB servers.
What is the
future of MAGIC? The map collection:
The Federal Depository Program for maps does not appear to be
appreciably shrinking:
Year
USGS
All
95/96
1479
3224
94/95
2286
3495
93/94
1582
2719
92/93
1353
2701
91/92
2905
4278
89/90
2673
4338
88/89
3047
3823
87/88
2320
3303
86/87
2927
3882
The number of CD-ROMs distributed continues to grow
Purchases of Russian language maps of hard-to-get regions continues.
Gifts, especially of state and federal agencies.
The MAGICweb collection of digital data:
MAGIC is seen as the primary distributor of digital geospatial data in the
State of Connecticut.
State agencies will continue to publish and archive their data on MAGIC.
Regional Planning Agencies are beginning to actively pursue publishing and
archiving on MAGIC.
Towns will become interested in publishing and archiving on MAGIC.
Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quads (DOQQ) for four counties (½ of the state,
1.2 GB).
Soil Data from Soil Conservation Service (SCS) for ½ of the State, 800 MB.
TRUs, annual road maps of each town from the ConnDOT, this years, and the
next… Approximately 350 MB.
Bio-diversity data from DEP, 25 MB.
Satellite Image of State, 250 MB.
The Historical Resource Inventories, coverages of nominated properties to
the State and National Register of Historic Landmarks. 11 MB.
Hundreds of gigabytes of scanned historical railroad
maps, historical street networks, scanned historical aerial photography and
Connecticut bedrock and surficial geology maps will be added to MAGIC's
digital collection in 2008.
Services:
Building the digital library
Creating digital search tools
Enhancing the interface
Creating and managing the spatial metadata
Making and maintaining geographical applications on the campus LAN (requires
a NT Server)
Teaching, workshops, internships with other libraries
Partnering Opportunities:
IFLA Digital Chart of the World Project
ARL GIS Project
FGDC Metadata
Scanning, georeferencing, hosting,
and building metadata for the Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection's collection of historical maps
