First approaches to the usability of Digital Map Libraries

Abstract

The Internet is a powerful tool providing different online communication options on geographic approaches. In addition to searching, geoportals provide tools to visualize, explore and download information. Cartographic heritage contained in the Digital Map Libraries (DML) stands out as an exceptional case within the generic frame of a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). There are useful and basic similarities between the global reality of an SDI as a distributed geoportal and a DML; conformance to standards, agreements and services. However, some technological and policy considerations must be taken into account apart from the characteristics common to all SDI in any thematic field. On a first approach to these peculiarities, it is necessary to search different ways to present old maps preserving the original information needed by researchers, without reducing visual quality and Web potentiality. As a specific geoportal in cartographic heritage, some usability recommendations should be taken into account when designing navigation browsers in the DML, apart from the application functionalities. Usability will play an important role to succeed in the provider- citizen communication process. Some specific experiences have been carried out in this field so far, trying to include the DML services in a local SDI prototype and introducing a first approach to visualization methodology. Conclusions are presented at the end, in order to carry out an in-depth study in the future.