We are pleased to present to you a new edition of the Map Warper tutorial, created Dec. 2013 and uploaded March 2014.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to use the New York Public Library’s Map Warper tool to bring the past into the digital present.
This tutorial will show you how to overlay historical maps onto present day locations by georectfying, or warping maps from the NYPL collection.
The Map Warper allows you to align an historical map with its contemporary counterpart.
Rectified maps can be useful for a variety of reasons. “They can be used to study the rate of population growth, or the effects of a natural disaster on the landscape, or maybe you just want to compare your present day neighborhood to what it looked like in the past” (Rossy Mendez & Eric Mortensen, 2014, unpublished map tutorial)
Rectifying maps contributes to the public domain. Once a map is rectified it becomes part of the NYPL rectified map collection and can be used and accessed by subsequent users.
The Map Waprer allows users to become urban archeologists using digital tools to dig into the past and connect it to the present.
This tutorial was created by Corina Bardoff, Leah Honor and Bill Levay, MLIS candidates at Pratt Institute, School of Information and Library Science. This project was as assignment for the course Information Services and Sources. The class partnered with the Map Division at NYPL to update their tutorial, which was very long (over 10min.) and outdated.
Working in groups of 2-4 students and using Camtasia, the class created eight tutorials. All were excellent in their own way and the competition was hard, but ultimately the good people at NYPL, led by Matt Knutzen selected this tutorial (See on NYPL website).
The assignment helped students demonstrate several of Pratt SILS program-wide student learning objectives, specifically in the area of
Communication – Students demonstrate excellent communication skills and create and convey content
Technology – Students use information technology and digital tools effectively
User-Centered Focus – Students apply concepts related to use and users of information and user needs and perspectives
LIS Practice – Students perform within the framework of professional practice
We are glad to have had this opportunity to work with NYPL and look forward to future collaborations.
Just like there are belated birthday cards, there should be a category of belated blog posts. I know this is coming a little late, but I feel it is still within reason, one month after the end of the academic school, to dedicate this, my first blog-post, to sum up my year.
Most of my research time was devoted to German Traces NYC the project that I worked on with my colleague Anthony Cocciolo. The project received nice attention in both the popular press and academic circles. We were asked to present the project to an IMLS panel, received the iSchool 2012 best poster award and have a forthcoming paper in Journal of Documentation.
Summer is here, and while I am certainly taking the time to read, meet with friends, and other leisure activities, I can’t rest on my laurels and have began work on some new research projects. More to come.