1. Klokan Petr Přidal <klokan@klokan.cz>
OldMapsOnline.org:
Software for Old Maps
Moravian Library Brno, Czech Republic
MapTiler.com, Switzerland
Map Curators’ Group Workshop: The British Cartographic Society
9-10th September 2009, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

2. Introduction:
• Consultant & Programmer (IT + GIS), Open-Source
Development, Web Applications
• Cooperation with public libraries, project
OldMapsOnline.org - free software and online tools
• Expertise in online map publishing: MapTiler.org,
tile rendering (Amazon EC2 computer cluster +
hosting S3 or GAE), UNIX + Web technology
• Cooperation with: David Rumsey, NLS, BRGM,
Orange UK, Three UK, ...

3. OldMapsOnline.org The other activities
project results and plans latest development

4. Project Old Maps Online
• Publishing:
– Libraries are publishing scans on their website
(with free software and pan&zoom viewers)
• Georeference:
– Online tools: only web browser needed. Visitors
can collaborate. 3D visualization and overlays of
maps possible.

5. Background of the project
• R&D project in a public library
• Moravian Library in Brno: grant from Ministry of
Culture, Czech Republic (2009-2011)
• Design of an open-source workflow for historical
map collections in (czech) libraries
• Open-source software development and
customization
• Online tools should replace expensive GIS software
• Best practices and links, tutorials for libraries

6. Publishing
• Free software for old maps publishing:
– Pan&Zoom web viewers for your website
– Easy and efficient publishing with tiles (zoomify)
– Advanced publishing from JPEG2000/TIFF
(iipimage) as free alternative to commercial
products

7. ZOOMIFY, MOOVIEWER, OPENZOOM
TILES PREGENERATED OR SERVED BY IIPIMAGE

8. • Really simple to use, almost no technical
knowledge for publishing the high
resolution images to the Internet
• You generate tiles and copy them on your
server, no further setup is needed
• Original: http://www.zoomify.com/
• Existing open-source implementation for
tiling software as well as for viewers

9. ImageServer: IIPImage
• Fast image server, OpenSource GPL: for free
• Color Correct (ICC profile, L a*b* space)
• SourceForge: http://iipimage.sf.net/
• Displays TIFF images (stored on the server)
• Zoomify-compatible (we supported dev)
• Support for JPEG2000 (we supported dev)

10. Georeferencer.org
• Online tools for collaborative georeferencing of
scanned maps - you need only webbrowser
– The maps are displayed from your server, the
online tool allows specification of control points
– Improvable in time, possible collaboration
– Outputs: World file (GIS), 3D Vizualization (GE),
GeoMetadata (MARC, DC) for search, Accuracy
analysis, Overlays and Synthesizing of maps

11. Georeferencer.org
– No need to change anything on your side
– Possible closer integration if you would like
– Supported formats now: images (jpg), Zoomify
– later: IIPImage, MrSID, Aware, ContentDM (LOC),
Luna (Rumsey), DeepZoom (WDL), XLImage
(KBR), DjVU, ExLibris DigiTool/Rosetta, ...
– Links back to your websites, copyright notice
according your wish, you can opt out

13. Results: where and when?
• Publishing software and viewers are available as
open-source for free and NOW
• Online tools are under development, available in
the next year (2010), the georeferencing
functionality is going to be available for free
http://www.oldmapsonline.org/

14. OldMapsOnline.org The other activities
project results and plans latest development

15. The other activities
• MapTiler: easy to use and effective publishing of
maps in the style of Google Maps from GIS data
• Viewers - Integration of the viewers and new
functionality to existing technologies (LizardTech,
ContentDM, ..)
• Map indexes (conversion from GIS form)
• Metadata and rapid geotagging
• MapRank: Geographical search for map collection

17. GOOGLE MAPS OVERLAY DEMO

18. GOOGLE EARTH DEMO

19. OPENLAYERS DEMO

20. TODO: NLS Viewer

23. Bounding box

24. Geodetic coordinates on
the map collar

29. Thank you for your attention...
• Latest news of the Old Maps Online in the blog and
on the website of the project
• Tomorrow a workshop: “From paper to screen:
Putting maps on the web”
• Possible cooperation on your projects: contact me!
http://www.oldmapsonline.org/
klokan@klokan.cz