Image Files, Web Services, Web Applications, and Partnerships: Two Decades of Managing Digital Georeferenced Aerial Imagery Collections of Idaho

Abstract

Academic libraries have managed print-based aerial photography collections for many years. Some have spent substantial time and effort digitizing items in those collections. Additionally, some libraries have taken on the task of georeferencing these digital images. In recent decades, libraries have begun to receive and manage born-digital georeferenced orthorectified aerial imagery collections, as this acquisition format has superseded print-based photographs. There are significant challenges associated with this shift to managing born-digital imagery. This article describes one academic library’s approach, over the past two decades, of managing a collection of digital georeferenced aerial imagery used in teaching, research, university operations, and all-purpose inquiry by the public. The management activities detailed in here aim to provide helpful information for other libraries having interest in maintaining similar collections.

Keywords:

• Libraries
• digital georeferenced aerial imagery
• aerial photography
• GIS
• data management
• geospatial information librarians