[OPEN-ILS-DEV] GeoRSS support

[Duimovich, George]

We have a map library in our library network, so certain geographic data, geo-related search and display formats are important to us. We are working to develop GeoRSS feed support, so in looking at some building blocks we have -- like our data in MARC 034 [1] - I'm left with a few questions to resolve. Among other features, GeoRSS will allow us to integrate and mashup better with maps. We have an example of this with another system we have in place for our GEOSCAN database here: http://tinyurl.com/y282scq  (polygons on google maps display represent geographical area coverage of the item/map/publication, etc.).

1. In Evergreen, key cartographic data that we need to access is stored in MARC 034, subfields d, e, f, & g. Although the standard [1] permits cataloguers to enter using GeoRSS friendly "decimal degrees" format, the **practical reality** is that documents don't typically give their data in decimal degrees, and so having cataloguers use decimal degrees is not an easy switchover for their workflow. Plus clients still expect the data in traditional "degrees/minutes/seconds" in the OPAC, so current data serves us ok from that point of view (..but don't get me started on how we unnecessarily duplicate the data in in MARC 255 to make it "human readable"!). 

2. Problem: in order to support GeoRSS we'll need to convert MARC 034 to decimal degrees, but any thoughts on the best place to do the parsing / computations? Strategy wise, is doing this directly in the XSL going to be a bit awkward or too heavy? Instead, I take it that we should we be looking to transform the 034 data into decimal degrees into a local 9xx field and then extract that data for GeoRSS from there. Thoughts?

3. Validation -- we can create some SQL queries to identify some validation issues with the data, but I'm curious as to what "plug-in" architecture exists for validating this kind of data in the MARC Editor and/ or whether or not it would make sense have an autoposting process such that any new 034 data that gets entered or changed updates a local 9xx data field with geographic coordinates in decimal degrees?  Additionally, can anybody speak to the ease-ability of creating a popup (or something else) in the MARC editor that allows a cataloguer to enter 034 data in traditional format but then stores the data in decimal degrees (thus solving our cataloguing workflow barrier plus the machine readable one too). The parsing/computation is straightforward enough, so I'm thinking more in terms of developing / maintaining some kind of data entry / validation functionality to get us storing the data in a more usable format. 

Lots of questions, but perhaps for further discussion when I meet up with some of you next week!

Thanks,
George

George Duimovich
NRCan Library / Bibliothèque de RNCan

[1] http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd034.html

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