Digital libraries and digital maps are two fast-growing technologies in the world
of computing. In this thesis we have explored using digital maps to enhance
the functionality of digital libraries. The Greenstone 3 digital library system
was augmented though the use of the digital mapping system, Google Maps.
An automatic place name recognition and disambiguation system was created
to obtain geographical information from documents as they were viewed. This
extracted information was presented as a map with markers showing the location
of the places within the text of the document.
We evaluated the system by performing a user study and an analysis of the
speed, efficiency and accuracy of the place name recognition and disambiguation
system. Participants in the user study completed most of the tasks easily
and made comments expressing their satisfaction with the system. Analysis
of the place recognition and disambiguation system was also positive, as the
system was fast, relatively efficient and was highly accurate.
