GEOSPATIAL DATA PORTALS: LIBRARIANS ADD EXPERTISE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GIS METADATA CATALOGS

Searching a geospatial data catalog can be frustrating for many GIS data users. Geospatial data catalogs are built on records created to a specific metadata standard, such as ISO 19115. The search query is often limited to searching a few tags within the record, such as title, publisher, spatial extent, content theme, and content type. GIS personnel tend to create metadata records with little thought into how it will be discovered by others. On the other hand, library catalogs are developed for a broad spectrum of users with varying knowledge of the subject. Librarians can bring this expertise in creating user-friendly catalogs to the GIS profession.

In the development of NebraskaMAP, a statewide geospatial data sharing portal and web services network, the GIS Librarian from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln used knowledge of Boolean operators, Lucerne query syntax, and the understanding of geospatial metadata standards to improve the searching, retrieval, and display capabilities of this geospatial data portal's metadata catalog.

This paper describes the process of building a statewide geospatial data portal in Nebraska, and how the UNL Libraries contributed to the organization of the portal's metadata records. The portal uses ESRI's Geospatial Portal Extension software.