Date:         Fri, 30 Jun 2006 11:20:18 -0400
Reply-To:     Subject Coordinates Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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From:         Dean C Rogers <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: The proposal passed MARBI!
Comments: To: Subject Coordinates Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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Yes, great. And since GPS includes elevation, so will the authority 
records, right? (I hope).

Dean Rogers
Map Cataloger
Library
U.S. Geological Survey
Reston, Va.



"Houghton,Andrew" <[log in to unmask]> 
Sent by: Subject Coordinates Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
06/30/2006 07:49 AM
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Re: The proposal passed MARBI!






> From: Subject Coordinates Discussion List 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Colleen R. Cahill
> Sent: 30 June, 2006 07:15
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [SUBCOOR] The proposal passed MARBI!
> 
> We now face some choices, primarly in what format we want the 
> coordinates to appear in authority records.  This can be 
> either degrees, minutes, seconds or decimal degrees: both 
> have advantages and disadvantages. Here are a few I have 
> thought of and am hoping for your input:
> 
> Degrees, minutes, seconds format
> Pro:
> -Format most often printed on maps
> -Familiar to most people
> -Easy to quality review
> -Format most often used in bib records
> 
> Con:
> -Not format used by GIS search engines
> 
> Decimal Degrees
> Pro:
> -Format used by GIS search engines
> -Can harvest data from GIS tools 
> 
> Con:
> -Not as easy to quality review
> -Not as familiar a format to the average person

Handheld GPS devices can output either format and output from 
the GPS device may be used to create local authority records. 
In addition, the conversion between decimal degrees and DMS 
is trivial.  If the catalog uses decimal degrees, it can be 
easily converted to DMS for user friendly displays.  This 
point negates Con(2) under Decimal Degrees.

I'm not throwing my two cents either way, just providing a
few additional thoughts.  So long as the data is in its own
subfield and it doesn't need to be parsed out of other textual
data, then either format can be used effectively.


Andy.