geographic interfaces to OLAC data

[Anthony Aristar]

Just to add a bit of information here:  we (i.e. LINGUIST List) were 
funded this year to build a GIS system for language data, in a project 
called LL-MAP.  The system we're building, though it could certainly 
use Google Earth if it wanted to, will not depend on it, since it will 
be a full implementation of ArcIMS.  We've been negotiating with GMI, 
the people who did the polygons for Ethnologue, and they have 
tentatively agreed to let us serve their data as part of our maps.  And 
the database design is just about done.

Our language system already incorporates language subgrouping (that is, 
each language "knows" where it belongs in a subgroup).  These 
subgroupings are now being updated and expanded in another funded 
project called Multitree. So, since we run an OLAC harvester, we will 
be able to run the kind of queries that have been talked about on 
either the DELAMAN or the OLAC-IMPLEMENTERS list.  And in theory all 
OLAC data which has geographical information should be incorporable 
into the system.

Anthony

Quoting Baden Hughes <badenh at cs.mu.oz.au>:

> Hi OLAC-Implementers
>
> Supposing :-) we had centroid point data for each language listed in
> the Ethnologue, and were going to build some geography-oriented
> services for OLAC. What sorts of things would people be interested in
> seeing ? Some ideas:
>
> - geographic coverage map per archive and for all archives, with "dots
> on maps" representing languages which have resources listed in OLAC
>
> - geographic coverage map per archive and for all archives, with "dots
> on maps" representing resource types (eg dictionaries) listed in OLAC
>
> - search by country, based on a graphical map selector interface
> (click a country, see all resources for that country)
>
> - search for related resources by geographic proximity
>
> NB we are not allowed to distribute the data, but there is no reason
> why we can't build a service or two with an API to allow others to use
> it in conjunction with an OLAC-centric service.
>
> Regards
>
> Baden
>




                **************************************
He either fears his fate too much,                   Or his deserts are 
small, That puts it not unto the touch                      To win or 
lose it all

James Graham - Marquis of Montrose

                     Semper Litteris Mandate

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Anthony Aristar                   Professor
Moderator, LINGUIST               Principal Investigator, EMELD Project
Linguistics Program
Dept. of English                  aristar at linguistlist.org
Wayne State University            aristar at wayne.edu
5057 Woodward
Detroit, MI 48202
U.S.A.

URL: http://linguistlist.org/aristar/
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