University System of New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire Library and its partner, the Earth Systems Research Center, will build PLACE, the Position-based Location Archive Coordinate Explorer, a geospatial search interface that will embed geospatial coordinates into metadata, leading to easier discovery of information that can be difficult to locate through traditional search methods. Initially, PLACE will provide access to geographic collections focused on the region, but it will be flexible and expandable as collections grow. The project will provide users with access to these collections through a flexible visual interface, contribute to development of open source geospatial tools, and provide a toolkit for other institutions to implement in their geospatial collections. Ready access to embedded geospatial information in a flexible visual interface will contribute to the development of 21st-century skills by library users, such as visual, global, and environmental literacy.