Research in Context: Mapping and Movement in the University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC)

The University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC) now include a “Map It” feature! With the “Map It” option, all items with geographic information are now displayed on a map using the Google Maps API. For instance, users can now see this photo of Gainesville mapped by clicking on the “Map It” tab, which shows a Google Map view of the photo’s location with a placemark.
See the Citadelle Henri Christophe in Haiti, and then see the satellite imagery map for it, which still clearly shows the structure, along with the surrounding area!
In case the maps aren’t exciting enough, UFDC also allows displays Flash files now so that items like this Beaded Coronet can be seen quickly with all of its thumbnails, in zoomable high definition, and in motion!
These improvements build from UFDC’s strong infrastructure with defined metadata for each item, to make research more fun, playful, and easier to understand. Instead of having to puzzle through the structured citation information for location, users can see the item along with the location. Only a small portion of the information already available in UFDC is really being utilized so far, so there’s much work to be done and many benefits to be gained!
Check out the maps, the objects in motion, and keep a lookout for much more to come!