Image Stitching: Obvious Benefits with Hidden Challenges Time Saturday 23rd November 2:15pm to 2:45pm Don Williams Founder, Image Science Associates Matt Pearson Digitization & Services Coordinator, California Digital Library, UCLA The merging or stitching of separately captured portions (tiles) of an object into one unified digital image is becoming increasingly popular in the cultural heritage community. Maps, negatives, tapestries, and paintings that were once too onerous to digitize faithfully because of their physical size are now included in digital collections. This presentation investigates image-stitching technology and its application to libraries, archives, and museums. We will discuss stitching techniques and accompanying processes; highlight their pros and cons, use considerations, and metadata strategies; offer an overview of workflows for automated stitching, manual review, and amelioration in high-performance, low-tolerance production environments; share our views on image quality, software options, and analytical tools for stitching and error detection; address stitching performance with different content types; and assess current thinking on image-stitching guidelines. Creative Cartography: An Indie Approach to Producing Interactive Maps Time Saturday 23rd November 2:45pm to 3:15pm Michael Neault @michael_neault Producer, Ralph Appelbaum Associates Cooper Thomas Student, Dartmouth College Over the past half-decade, we have moved into an era of DIY creativity in cartography. The development of free, open source mapping platforms such as QuantumGIS, IndieMapper, and TileMill, combined with the increased availability of geospatial data, has allowed untrained individuals to operate in the world of interactive cartography. Along with unprecedented access to powerful cartographic toolsets and geospatial data comes an overwhelming amount of information. This presentation will provide a "101" tour of what it takes to produce an interactive map, with little to no experience in cartographic design or computer programming. We will explore intuitive cartographic toolkits; explore sources of free and reliable geospatial data; touch on some basic UX principles; and share some of the best and brightest inspirations from the field of contemporary creative cartography. Years of practice are required to become a professional cartographer, but we hope you'll gain some beginner mapmaking chops and a new appreciation for what a small independent team can accomplish.