What Will We “Search By” Next? Building Custom GIS Search Applications for the Internet Presented By: Amy Kenum City of Huntsville: GIS

The Problem Cemetery Department –Application to Search and Locate Cemetery Plots Make it accessible by the public Easy to use search commands Only show specific attributes Print maps of the cemetery Have database updated regularly by Cemetery Dept.

History of Maple Hill Established around 1822, when LeRoy Pope sold 2 acres to the city for a municipal cemetery Registered by the Alabama Historical Association in 1962 One of the oldest cemeteries in the state of Alabama Currently almost 100 acres and over 80,000 burials Pictures By: Felicia Sisk

List of Data Needed Database –Burial Block –Burial Lot –Burial Space –Interment Last Name –Interment First Name –Interment Middle Name –Person’s Title –Data of Death –Age at Death –Sex Map showing Spatial Location –Location of Burial Block, Lot and Space Link –Database –Spatial Location

Digital Data with Attributes Created Shapefiles –Block Polygons –Lot & Space Polylines –Converted Labels to Points Created Point Database – Burial Block – Burial Lot – Burial Space CAD Drawing Digital Cemetery Layout Spatial Data Evolution Scroll Cemetery Layout Plot Purchaser

Database Evolution Record Books Access Database SQL Database Entered Burial Location and Interment Details into Access Database Imported Data into SQL Database

Building a Link Spatial Data (Shapefiles) Database (SQL Table) Burial Block Burial Lot Burial Space Unique ID to tie tables together Space ID - BCL104S5 Lot ID - BCL104S Block ID - BCLS B + “Block” + L + “Lot” + S + “Space”

Joining Tables 1 to 1 join –Space ID – BCL104S5 1 to Many join –Lot ID BCL104S –Block ID BCLS Field check records with incomplete data Records are old and don’t always have the full burial location 52,000 cemetery locations 28,000 interment records are linked

Creating a Webpage Designed using Active Server Pages (ASP) & GeoMedia Web Map

Home Page Click to begin Search Click to view a printable map of the entire layout of the cemetery

Search Engine Search 3 Ways Barnes List of all the results that match the query with attributes Click Map to find the location of the burial plot

Map Burial Plot Tools -Zoom in/out -Go back to the search window -Print -Help Burial Location And Interment Details Red Dot marks the location of the burial plot Legend and Overview

Zoom In/Out of Map The more you zoom, the more detail you get

Maintenance Cemetery inputs new and updated records into a database interface ITS Dept. stores and backs up the data through a SQL Server –Unique ID (number) Field –Data Added Field –Date Modified Field –Exports new records into temporary table in the GIS database Once a week through script (local package) based on date added or date modified GIS Dept. pulls in new and updated records from temporary table –Creates ID from Block, Lot, & Space to link to spatial point Once a week through script (local package) –Verify that all records join properly –Website is automatically updated

Other Search Applications Other Cemeteries in the City (Pending) Dedicated Tree Locator (Pending) Bicentennial Park Brick Locator - Created using ArcIMS Home Page

Brick Locator Search Map

Contributors: Webpage Design: GIS – Tom McDonough Helped with field work: GIS – Erin Dyer DBA: ITS – Sandra Barnes Records: Cemetery – Brenda Webb, Felicia Sisk Mayor: Loretta Spencer Urban Development Director: Dallas Fanning GIS Manager: Tim Barnes Software Used: ESRI: ArcInfo, ArcIMS Bentley Microstation GeoMedia Web Map Microsoft SQL Server