Overview of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) ProjectThe Toronto region is rich in history and tradition, and one area that it is particularly affluent in is its cartography. The cartographic history of Toronto began during the settlement by the French at Fort Rouillé, but it was not until British settlement in the late 18th Century that a sustained effort was made to map the area. From the first maps of Fort York and the harbour, to today's modern aerial photos and cartography depicting its present day grandeur as Canada's largest urban centre, the mapping of Toronto has continued non-stop. Through all its developments and expansion, the Greater Toronto Area has been sketched and mapped to the point where it currently boasts a tremendously rich assortment of cartographic treasures accessible in various repositories throughout the city.The University of Toronto Map Library, founded in 1964 by now-retired librarian Joan Winearls, boasts one of the finest map collections in North America. The U of T map library has from its beginnings collected maps of the entire world, however, the Greater Toronto Area has always been the primary focus of its collection policy. The collection includes original and facsimile maps of the city from its earliest days, topographical maps of the area from the turn of the 19th to the 20th Century, Property data maps, Building Outline maps, Transportation maps, Aerial Photographs, etc. A proposal (initially in 1998) called the GTA Project has been put forth to take a portion of this rich map collection and serve it on the World Wide Web. The main purpose would be for the world to benefit from the history of Toronto in maps. The GTA project will have as its main purpose, at least initially, to convert to digital format many of the valuable maps found in the University of Toronto library system and display them on the World Wide Web. The maps chosen for the project will reflect the varied needs of the communities we see as users of the information. Factors affecting the choice of maps will include the availability of some of the originals, the condition of these originals, and their copyright. While the U of T map library has some originals of important maps, it also has many (on microfiche and in paper) which are reproductions from other collections such as those from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, the Ontario Archives, the City of Toronto Archives and Library, and the National Archives of Canada. In the future, it may be required that we borrow originals or microfiche from these institutions for digital reproduction. The Thomas Fisher Library is a University of Toronto Library and the works it holds can easily be borrowed for reproduction, the items at other institutions may not be as easily accessible without a proposal of partnership to them. The National Archives has, in the past, provided maps on microfiche for such endeavors. Their collection of early Toronto maps is quite extensive and may be an invaluable resource for this project. Justification for the GTA ProjectThe U of T library system is one of the finest in the world. It has always prided itself on its innovative ideas. It holds a respected leadership position in Academia as many institutions across Canada look to U of T as a model for innovation. Projects such as these have always helped it attain its stature and reputation. The GTA project would be unique not only in its historical and Canadian focus, but also on its use of technology to display the images of the maps. It would bring to the world the cartography of the Greater Toronto Area and showcase the University's collection, expertise, and initiative. Since the University Library has already undertaken other similar projects, the GTA proposal would fit appropriately in its digital library infrastructure. Furthermore, the expertise attained through the previous digital projects will ensure the smooth development of this proposed project.
One of the major problems with such a project is usually the display of large high-resolution images. In order for the images to be valuable to users, the quality of the images cannot be sacrificed for the sake of shorter display time. Conventionally, download time with high quality images is extremely slow. A few years ago when this project was initially proposed, there would have been no option but to simply display low resolution GIF or JPG images to users as the solution. However, since that time, software has been developed which allows the creation of web page images from the original high resolution TIF files for display onto even slow speed connections. The solution, which has recently come onto the market, is proprietary software with TIF file compression capabilities. All the images displayed on this web page were compressed with the software package ER-Mapper and displayed using their server-software and plugins. Another problem with initiating the project is the selection of suitable items which are available and which are not within copyright restrictions. The images displayed in this project are but a preliminary list. A further list of items to be processed in the future is also available. Most of these items fall outside of copyright, and those that do not are items, which we feel we can get permission to reproduce from the copyright holders. Note: this list is preliminary and does not represent the entire scope of the project. Where the major problem may arise is in duplicating items found in other institutions. Various logistics would need to be worked out through various contacts which must be established. To aid in developing contacts we have enlisted the help of former U of T map librarian Joan Winearls. She is willing to assist the project group in sharing contacts and where possible also help in selecting items. Joan's contacts and overall expertise in the field make her a invaluable resource.
The GTA Project's first phase has clear initial goals of reproducing maps of the Toronto region and displaying them on the web. In the future, the project could take on other forms to compliment this first phase. Census, land holding data, and natural resources data could also be incorporated, among others. Great efforts have been made to capture the essence of what the project will look like in the future. Please send us your comments concerning this project. |