Who uses MAGIC?
The Map Library serves the faculty, staff, and students of the University of Connecticut:
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) 486-4589
OR
Bill Miller, Map Library Manager
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
