Page 218 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Unit 11: Geographical Sources

Atlases: These consist of maps, and indexes to help users find places on the maps. Types Notes
include atlases of the world, space, regions, countries, historical events, and road or street
directories.

Gazetteers: These are geographical dictionaries that list places, their locations, and other
factual information. Recent editions provide up-to-date details, and older editions provide
historical information. Entries may include pronunciation, location, area, population,
geographical and physical descriptions and historical data.
Atlases, maps, gazetteers and guidebooks are all works that provide representations of boundaries
of particular areas – countries, continents, cities or even the moon and relevant information.
Guidebooks generally provide brief historical information about a particular place but also
provide detailed descriptions of hotels, museums, restaurants famous sites and other information
useful to travellers.

11.1 Meaning of Geographical Sources

The improvement in the means of communication has led to increase in mobility of the people.
As a result, the people are becoming more interested in knowing about the places they would
like to visit or have already seen. Emphasis is also increasing on the teaching of geography.
These reasons have led to increase in demand for geographical information. In order to cater to
the demands of the users, large university and public libraries are attempting to develop extensive
collections of geographical sources of information.
Geographical sources consist primarily of graphic representations. These are used for finding
out answers to geographical questions. These questions are generally concerned with information
about places such as cities, towns, mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, etc., regarding their location,
description, and other details. The problem about geographic facts is that some of these may
have no firm basis.

Example: In a particular case, a place name may be spelled in a number of ways, if no
standard method for transliteration from one language to another exists.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. ......................................... represent part of the three-dimensional world on a flat surface.
2. ......................................... consist of maps, and indexes to help users find places on the maps.
3. ......................................... are geographical dictionaries that list places, their locations, and
other factual information.
4. ......................................... generally provide brief historical information about a particular
place but also provide detailed descriptions of hotels, museums, restaurants famous sites
and other information useful to travellers.
5. Geographical sources consist primarily of .........................................

11.2 Types of Geographical Information Sources

Geographical information can be located in a variety of sources of information. Each has its own
use. We may divide geographical information sources into two categories for convenience
purposes:
1. General Reference Sources (covering geographical information as well)
2. Specific Sources (covering geographical information only)

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