Geographic information retrieval and spatial browsing

Abstract

Digital library (DL) projects are beginning to create very large-scale repositories
\nof digital information on a wide range of topics. As with traditional
\nprint libraries, this information can be indexed and retrieved in a
\nvariety of ways, ranging from purely descriptive cataloging of items in
\nthe database and topical analysis of content, to more specialized methods
\nof classification and description that exploit the characteristics of digital
\ninformation. This paper will examine the problems and prospects of a
\nclass of retrieval and indexing methods that are particularly suited to
\ndigital library materials with geographic content or associations. The
\ncharacteristics of spatial queries and some of the problems of uncertainty
\nand approximation in spatial and geographic information retrieval are
\ndiscussed. Requirements and a methodologyfor automatic indexing and
\ngeoreferencing of text documents are then examined. A "state-of-the-art"
\nexamination of network access to georeferenced information is provided,
\nand a specification language and tool for development of graphical interfaces
\nto support geographic information retrieval and spatial browsing
\nis also described. In conclusion, general issues and characteristics of
\ngeoreferenced multimedia information systems are discussed.