[My project is] turning all the State Library of Victoria’s digitised maps into data. I’ve just created a workflow that uses AllMaps and IIIF to georeference the SLV’s digitised maps. There’s some technical details below, but the idea is pretty simple. A userscript links the SLV image viewer to Allmaps – so you just click on a button, and the digitised map opens, ready for georeferencing.
Why is this useful? Georeferencing relates a digitised map to real world geography. It describes the map’s position and extent using geospatial coordinates – turning historic documents into geospatial data that can be indexed, visualised and manipulated. Georeferencing opens digitised maps to new research uses.
So, how many maps can we georeference before my residency finishes in December? Hundreds? Thousands? If you like maps and want to help, head to the documentation page to find out how to get started. And if you want to see how things are progressing, have a look at the project dashboard.