Code4Lib Journal (Mar 2008)

Geocoding LCSH in the Biodiversity Heritage Library

  • Marc Crozier,
  • Jay Paige,
  • Martin Kalfatovic,
  • Chris Freeland

Journal volume & issue
no. 2
p. 52

Abstract

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Reusing metadata generated through years of cataloging practice is a natural and pragmatic way of leveraging an institution's investment in describing its resources. Using Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), the Biodiversity Heritage Library generates new interfaces for browsing and navigating books in a digital library. LCSH are grouped into tag clouds and plotted on interactive maps using methods available within the Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API). Code examples are included, and issues related to these interfaces and the underlying LCSH data are examined.