THE USE OF GEOPHOTOGRAPHY AS A PERMANENT RESOURCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY IN THE DOCUMENTATION OF FLUVIAL LANDSCAPES IN NORTHEAST OHIO

Though most would argue that we are well past the advent of the digital age, many libraries and academic departments are still struggling to create, maintain, and effectively use digital databases. Geology departments are by no means exempt from this difficulty. However, through the use of geophotography, we are in the process of constructing a widely accessible and easily usable online database of photographs of the post-glacial fluvial landscape in northeast Ohio. The purpose of the database, which is hosted by OhioLINK, and therefore accessible by 88 institutions (public and private) statewide, is twofold: to serve as a trial and template for future databases of a similar nature; and to digitally monitor at consistent time intervals the geomorphologic and hydrologic changes in streams and related mass movements due to weather events, climate variability and human impact. The database currently contains current digital photographs of smaller rivers and streams in and around Wooster, Ohio. Metadata, including photographer, time, equipment, format, file size, location, and purpose, are compiled and recorded for each photograph on an online form. Additionally, latitude and longitude are noted for each photograph, both to ensure consistency of location between time intervals and to enable easy mapping of data points for application by geographic information systems. The goal of the database is to provide a continuously updated resource to students and faculty across a wide range of locations and disciplines for research, data collection, and classroom education, as well as to establish an active record that can be monitored by the broader community concerning water resources and associated natural hazards in northeastern Ohio.