Date:Mon, 15 Aug 2005 14:49:09 -0400
Reply-To:Subject Coordinates Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:Subject Coordinates Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
From:Jimmie Lundgren <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:Re: Question on form of coordinates (no vcard)
Comments:To: Subject Coordinates Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type:text/plain; charset="Windows-1251"
Hi Colleen and All,
Here is a quick attempt to contrast a couple of digital coordinates
forms: the Alexandria Digital Library and OCLC MARC.
I hope I it's OK to copy and paste from the Alexandria Digital Library
Gazetteer website. An example for entering coordinates there:
<longLat longitude="-110.5" latitude="32.26883"/>
<longLat longitude="-110.86778" latitude="32.15"/>
<longLat longitude="-110.6" latitude="32.12278"/>
<longLat longitude="-111.00278" latitude="32.186"/>
<longLat longitude="-110.75" latitude="32.2"/>
So, this decimal form appears to show hemisphere as minus or plus with the
actual plus sign being omitted. There does not appear to be a requirement
for a leading zero when the number of degrees is less than 100, nor a
requirement for a particular number of places to the right of the decimal.
The OCLC Bib Formats examples:
Decimal degrees: hddd.dddddd (hemisphere-degrees.decimal degrees):
034 1 a ‡d E079.533265 ‡e E086.216635 ‡f S012.583377 ‡g
S020.419532
Decimal degrees: + -ddd.dddddd (hemisphere[+/-]-degrees.decimal degrees [+
for N and E, - for S and W with + being optional]):
034 1 a ‡d +079.533265 ‡e +086.216635 ‡f -012.583377 ‡g
-020.419532
Decimal degrees without the optional +:
034 1 a ‡d 079.533265 ‡e 086.216635 ‡f -012.583377 ‡g
-020.419532
Decimal minutes: hdddmmm.mmmmm (hemisphere-degrees-minutes.decimal minutes):
034 1 a ‡d E07932.5332 ‡e E08607.4478 ‡f S01235.5421 ‡g
S02028.9704
Decimal seconds: hddmmss.sss (hemisphere-degrees-minutes-seconds.decimal
seconds):
034 1 a ‡d E0793235.575 ‡e E0860727.350 ‡f S0123536.895 ‡g
S0202858.125
So, it seems optional to use letters or minus and plus for hemisphere in
OCLC. The usage here includes a leading zero for degrees less than 100.
Hoping this helps a little with the communication.
Jimmie Lundgren
-----Original Message-----
From: Subject Coordinates Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Tom Elliott
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 11:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SUBCOOR] Question on form of coordinates (no vcard)
There are standards for the digital encoding of coordinates and other
related essential information (e.g., coordinate systems, datums,
spheroids). Two places to start:
One of the major bodies dealing with the establishment of such standards
is the Open Geospatial Consortium ( http://www.opengeospatial.org/ ),
which publishes relevant specifications.
One also might care to look at the work of the Alexandria Digital
Library Gazetteer project, whose gazetteer protocol includes
specifications for the encoding of coordinates (
http://www.alexandria.ucsb.edu/gazetteer/ ).
Best,
Tom
Tom Elliott, Ph.D.
Director, Ancient World Mapping Center
http://www.unc.edu/awmc
CB#8110 5010 Davis Library
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8110
U.S.A.
No VCARD this time.
