Creating a State Atlas As an Integrated Set of Resources: Book, Cd-Rom and Website
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CREATING A STATE ATLAS AS AN INTEGRATED SET OF RESOURCES: BOOK, CD-ROM AND WEBSITE Buckley, A.1, Meacham, J.2 and Steiner, E.2 1ESRI, Inc., 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA, 92373-8100, USA. E-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Geography, InfoGraphics Lab, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97401, USA. E-mail:[email protected] and [email protected] ABSTRACT The original Atlas of Oregon was printed in 1976 and served as a definitive source of geographic information for the state of Oregon for 25 years. The second edition was released in October 2001, and a CD-ROM version was released a year later. A Web site has also been developed to deliver a set of educational materials that draw upon the atlas. Presentation of the atlas using multiple modes of communication creates a suite of integrated materials that can be used for a wide range of applications, including reference, education, research and policy making. In the twenty-five years that span the release of the first and second editions of the atlas, we have seen radical changes in the ways that atlases are produced and distributed. Technological changes have impacted all aspects of the atlas creation process, including atlas design, data collection, map compilation, media production, media distribution, and even communication between collaborators. This paper reviews the methods used for creation of the original Atlas of Oregon, and contrasts those with the techniques that were used to create the Second Edition. We also examine technological changes that have allowed for new mapping opportunities by expanding the modes of delivery to include CD-ROMs and the Web. Each of these modes of communication presents a unique set of challenges and advantages for atlas mapping. Books continue to provide the highest quality graphics and a level of comfort that entices many readers, CD-ROMs and the Web allow for increased interactivity and animation, and the Web can also provide related services, such as hyperlinks to data sources and downloading capabilities. This paper examines modern techniques for atlas creation in each of these forms – book, CD-ROM and Web site. The atlas design, compilation, and production methods used for each of these three distribution modes are examined, and challenges for each are discussed. Distribution of the atlas using multiple modes of communication provides the opportunity to impart a wider range of information, creates more opportunities for effective communication, and may attract a larger audience; however, integration between these modes presents a set of challenges, and opportunities, unto itself. These are also discussed in this paper. 1. INTRODUCTION Widely considered to be the first true atlas in the modern sense, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theatre of the World) completed in 1570 by Abraham Ortelius, a Flemish scholar and geographer, presented a collection of uniform map sheets and sustaining text bound to form a book for which copper printing plates were specifically engraved (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gnrlort.html). Note that this conception of a “modern atlas” from the 1500s is restricted to presentation of the maps in a book-bound form. This notion of book-bound maps holds in today’s dictionary definitions of “atlas” as a “bound collection of maps often including illustrations, informative tables or textual matter” [1]. Certainly an atlas can be presented in the traditional book-bound sense, but new technologies have expanded the presentation options for map collections. CD-ROMs, DVDs and the Web can also be used to present collections of maps, but the binding is digital rather than physical. As the possibilities for atlas presentation expand to include non-traditional media, the opportunities for innovative mapping and display will increase. In the future, there will be additional presentation media and mapping techniques that have not even been conceived of yet! Even as the forms and functions of atlases change, some precepts for excellence in atlas mapping have withstood the test of time and will likely persist into the future. In the 475+ years since Ortelius first published his atlas, the criteria for excellence in atlas mapping have remained much the same. “More than an original concept, the Theatrum was also the most authoritative and successful such work during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Because it was frequently revised to reflect new geographical and historical insights, contemporary scholars in western Europe praised the Theatrum highly for its accuracy…” (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gnrlort.html). Accuracy and the ability to present new geographical insights remain the measures of excellence in atlas mapping today. Because of the “authority inherent in atlases” [2], readers can rely on the geographic content for policy making, educational, recreational, reference, and other uses. It therefore behooves the cartographer to undertake an atlas Proceedings of the 21st International Cartographic Conference (ICC) Durban, South Africa, 10 – 16 August 2003 ‘Cartographic Renaissance’ Hosted by The International Cartographic Association (ICA) ISBN: 0-958-46093-0 Produced by: Document Transformation Technologies mapping project conservatively with the intent of producing a prestigious authoritative reference for generations to come. This conservative approach is counterbalanced by the judicious use of engaging and sometimes innovative mapping techniques that allow for new insights to be obtained and new geographic knowledge to be discovered. The mapmaker engages in a pursuit of “the ideal of successful presentation” [3]. Stuart Allan, who has been recognized for his cartographic achievement in The Virtuoso: Face to Face with Forty Extraordinary Talents [4] noted, “What makes a good map does not change. What was a good map during the Renaissance is a good map today – clear design and clear presentation, finding that fine balance where the less important details complement rather than obstruct or confuse the map’s principal message” [3]. Attention to authoritative accuracy and emphasis on effective communication were the guiding principles behind construction of both the original Atlas of Oregon [5] and the Second Edition [6]. The CD- ROM [7] and the Web versions of the atlas sought to build on this authoritativeness and to promote newer, more sophisticated mapping techniques. Through our experience creating the Atlas of Oregon, Second Edition for both book and CD-ROM distribution and our preliminary work and proposals for a Web atlas, we can offer some insights into design, compilation and production considerations and requirements for atlas mapping in various forms. Our experiences spanned a variety of media, but we ultimately created one type of atlas – a state atlas. Oregon, for many people, invokes images of “the Lewis and Clark expedition, pioneer wagon trains, tall trees, logging camps, salmon, and lots of rain” (http://www.oregon.gov/index.cfm?CurrPID=501). Oregon covers 98,386 square miles, making it the 9th largest of the 50 states (much larger than the ten smallest U.S. states combined): 96,003 square miles of Oregon are land areas and 2,383 square miles of Oregon are covered by water. The highest point in Oregon is Mount Hood, at 11,239 feet above sea level; the lowest point is sea level, where Oregon meets the Pacific Ocean (Figure 1). Mean elevation of the state of Oregon is 3,300 feet above sea level. The deepest point is in Crater Lake, which, at 1,932 feet deep, is the deepest lake in the United States. Figure 1. The Physiography of Oregon theme from the Atlas of Oregon, Second Edition. Oregon is known for its forests where about 1/10 of the nation's timber resides. In fact, Oregon is the leading provider of lumber in the United States. Oregon is also known for its rain; coastal regions receive most of the moisture with about 60-80 inches annually, but the coastal mountains can get more than double that due to orographic effects. Interestingly, the majority of the state is classified as “semi-arid” as the eastern two-thirds is mostly dry (i.e., less than 20” of rain a year). The Alvord Desert is the driest region of the state with only about 5” of rain a year. “Oregon’s bounty of natural resources” originally lured settlers to the state and continues to also entice tourists and newcomers today [6]. The fertile Willamette River Basin contains 70% of Oregon’s population as well as Oregon’s largest city, Portland, and the state capital, Salem. Oregon’s population was 3,421,399, as of 2000, making Oregon the 28th most populous state in the USA. Major industries include timber, paper products, farming (wheat, cattle), mining (coal), computer equipment, and electronics. Comprehensive land use laws have been in place for decades to preserve vast expanses of agricultural and forest lands, resources that are vital to the state’s economy. Only 44% of the land area in Oregon is publicly-owned; the rest is administered state and federal and state agencies (the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of land management are the largest property owners). Oregon is a unique place, and mapping it provided unique challenges. Although our paper discusses the experiences we encountered in the creation of a state atlas, albeit in various forms, the diversity of the state and its sheer size may allow extrapolation of our observations to atlases for other extents (e.g., national for smaller countries). The quality of the Atlas of Oregon in its various forms is widely recognized (http://www.acsm.net/mapwinners.html, https://millrace.uoregon.edu/uopress/itempage.cfm?prod=1&CFID=62044&CFTOKEN=75711726). The first book withstood the test of time and has been recognized as an authoritative source of geographic information about the state for a quarter century. The Second Edition was released twenty-five years to the day later and immediately gained recognition for its cartographic and design excellence (http://geography.uoregon.edu/department/ news/atlaspress.htm, Figure 2).