Developing and Using Finding Aids for Geospatial Data

Steven P. Morris
Librarian for Spatial & Numeric Data Services
North Carolina State University Libraries

Researchers are now presented with a bewildering variety of
options when trying to select geospatial data resources.  At the North
Carolina State University Libraries, for example, 20 different sources of
U.S. census tract boundary data alone are available for use.  Data
resources are selected according to the requirements of the individual
user and project.  Factors to consider in the selection process include: data
accuracy, scale (or level of detail), file format, file size, currency,
concurrency within the dataset, coordinate system and datum, use
restrictions, availability of metadata and lineage information, tiling
scheme, and availability of feature attributes.  Geospatial data users
need access to finding aids that allow one to: a) determine what data
resources are available, and b) select the appropriate data for use.  Types of
geospatial finding aids include:

* Keyword search (geospatial metadata index or standard library catalog)
* Browse search (including access to browseable metadata)
* Clickable or draggable map interfaces (spatial metaphor)
* Thesaurus-based access (feature- or attribute-based lookup)
* Gazetteer lookup (place-based lookup)
* Interactive mapping (pre-acquisition data evaluation or "scratch 'n
sniff")
* Data resource guides (discussion of resources)
* Data specialists (data librarians or archivists)

At the NCSU Libraries a range of data discovery tools are offered in
support of unmediated, time and location independent access to and use of
extensive geospatial data resources made available on the campus network.
While, to date, only a subset of the geospatial data holdings have been
added to the library catalog, an extensive Web-based thesaurus lookup
system facilitates access to networked, offline and Web-based resources. 
Web-based mapping systems are used to provide broader access to data,
cultivate awareness of geospatial data resources, generate interest in
the underlying data, and facilitate pre-acquistion data evaluation. 
Interactive Web-based map indexes are also used to facilitate map-based
And gazetter-based lookup of resources.  Extensive Web-based documentation of
data resources augments the personalized assistance of the GIS data
librarian.

This presentation will provide an overview of geospatial data selection
And finding aid issues.  The experience of the NCSU Libraries in the
development and use of these tools will be discussed.  Special focus will
be given to geospatial data resources of importance to the social
sciences data community.