An Integrated Interactive and Persistent Map-Based Digital Library Interface

In this paper we explore the enrichment of the interface to a "standard" text-based digital library with interactive digital maps to enhance its capabilities. Central to the design is to maintain two interlocked views, displayed side-by-side: one the traditional text-based digital library view, the other an interactive map view. At any stage of the user's interaction the two views represent the same information, only displayed in the form most fitting to that view. The views are interlocked, in that the user can interact with either view, and as a result both views are simultaneously updated. To achieve this, the underlying digital library infrastructure was extended to include automatic place name detection and disambiguation capabilities, which are used to augment the text view. To assist user navigation within this view, we explore a fisheye and multicolumn representation of the text documents. The work is evaluated through a user study, focusing on the new and extended services in the digital library.