New facility, new name

As indicated in a previous post, EDINA is creating a new version of the existing Classic mapping facility.

A sneaky peek at the new interface under development....
Given that the new facility works in a very different way, we would like to give it a new name. We have a number of suggestions, and would like to know your views on them. To this end, we have posted a poll on this blog (look to the top right hand side of this window) for you to vote with.

There are a number of things we need to take into account in choosing a name. For example:

1. It needs to give the mapping facility an identity. When users contact our helpdesk asking for assistance with it, they need to be able to refer to it by name with confidence that we will know what they are referring to. Similarly, our helpdesk need to be confident that they understand which facility a user is talking about, and using an easily identifiable and catchy name for it is an easy means to that end.

2. It needs to be memorable - users need to know which facility they are using.

3. It needs to be unique, not used by any other mapping organisation for a mapping service or product.

Vote on the blog here, or if you would rather, send us an email with your ideas. Thanks for your help!

Northern Ireland map data: JISC Consultation

JISC Collections has an opportunity to add Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland (OSNI) data to the Digimap Collections. Before a final decision is made to pursue this agreement JISC Collections would like to guage interest in these mapping data from existing subscribers. JISC Collections would welcome feedback on whether or not your institution would participate in an agreement to supply OSNI data through Digimap Collections.

It has been proposed that the following data be included in the licensing arrangement. The suggested formats are also given for each dataset:

• OSNI Largescale Vector (ntf, dxf, dwg)
• OSNI 1:50,000 Vector (shapefile, mapinfo tab)
• OSNI RegionalMap (pgdb, shapefile)
• OSNI GlobalMap (pgdb, shapefile)
• OSNI Road Network (shapefile, mapinfo tab)
• OSNI Boundary Map (pgdb, shapefile)
• OSNI Pointer Product (format: csv) (Pointer includes Royal Mail Group PAF postcodes)
• OSNI Place Name Gazetteer Product- OSNI 1:10,000 Raster Product (format: tiff, ecw)
• OSNI Raster Activity Map Products (format: tiff, ecw)
• OSNI 1:50,000 Raster Product (format: tiff, ecw)
• OSNI 1:250,000 Raster Product (format: tiff)
• OSNI Parliamentary Constituency Raster Map Products (format: jpeg)
• OSNI Raster Street Map Products (format: tiff, ecw)
• OSNI Historical Archive Product (format: ecw)
• OSNI DTM 50m, standard, enhanced Products (format: txt, dbf, dgn)
• OSNI Orthophotography Product (format: ecw)

More information about the data can be found on the OSNI website: http://www.osni.gov.uk/

The suggested prices for an institutional subscription to this agreement vary according to JISC's institutional banding, and are as follows:

Higher Education

• Bands A-B - £750 per annum
• Bands C-D - £600 per annum
• Bands E-F - £400 per annum
• Bands G-J - £100 per annum

Further Education

• All bands - £75 per institution

If you would find it useful to have access to Northern Ireland data, please contact your Digimap site representative to express an interest in a subscription. If you don't know who your site representative is, please check the list on our website: http://edina.ac.uk/digimap/list.shtml

If you are a Digimap Site Representative, please gather feedback you receive from Digimap users at your institution and contact Liam Earney (L.Earney@jisc.ac.uk) if you would like to express an interest in a subscription for your institution.

Training Needs Survey

EDINA strives to provide face-to-face training for Digimap which is appropriate, comprehensive and meets the needs of site representatives in supporting Digimap. To this end, we are conducting a training needs survey, in order to establish how to improve the training we offer for Digimap. The results of the survey will inform a review of current training and will assist us in improving what we offer.

The survey is online and should not take more than two or three minutes to complete. Please click the link below. We welcome your views.

Click here for the Digimap Training Survey

If you have comments you would like to make but can't find an appropriate place in the survey to do so, please phone us, or email the EDINA Training Officer on edina-training@ed.ac.uk

Historic Digimap: licence and consultation

Reminder of new licence agreement
A new, three-year sub-licence is now available for Historic Digimap, the service offering historic Ordnance Survey maps and data from the Landmark Information Group. Current subscribing institutions will be contacted directly to ensure continued access from 1 August 2008 onwards. The new licence will run from 1 August 2008 until 31 July 2011. Full details, including subscription forms and costs, can be found on the JISC Collections website at: http://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/catalogue/coll_digimap_historic.aspx

Trials
In addition, 30-day trials are offered to those from institutions wishing to assess the service prior to subscription. Please contact the EDINA Helpdesk on edina@ed.ac.uk to request such a trial. You can read more about Historic Digimap on the EDINA website at: http://edina.ac.uk/digimap/description/historic_overview.shtml

Consultation on additional datasets
JISC Collections are currently running a consultation for the purchase of additional datasets for Historic Digimap. Among the suggested purchases are the GOAD Fire Insurance plans and historical town plans.

Representatives from existing institutions and others interested in the Collection are invited to complete the short survey at their earliest convenience. This can be done online, and should take only a few minutes to complete:

http://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/consultations/new_agreements/historicdigi_cons

Click the link to the "online response form" in the Introduction.