Dolors Barrot Feixat
Head of the Unit of Quality and Methods
Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia
Spain

Biography
Dolors Barrot has a degree on Mathematics by the University of Barcelona (1982). Since 1998 she is responsible for Quality and Methods at the ICGC. Her activities are focused in the elaboration and revision of technical specifications, in the analysis of the ISO standards on geographic information to be applied in the production process. She has leaded the working group for the harmonisation of the Spanish topographic databases at 1:5000 and was member of the TWG on Hydrography of INSPIRE. She is member of the INSPIRE-KEN group of EuroGeographics and of several national and regional groups working on the INSPIRE implementation.

Abstract
Preservation of Digital Geographic Information at the Institut Cartografica Geologic de Catalunya

Co-Authors:
Carme Montaner, Head of the Map Library of Catalonia, Institut Cartografic i Geologic de Catalunya
Jose-Lui­s Colomer, Past Technical Deputy Director, Institut Cartografic i Geologic de Catalunya
Maria Pla, Head of the Area of Databases, Institut Cartografic i Geologic de Catalunya
Anna Lleopart, Head of the Cartographic Databases Unit, Institut Cartografic i Geologic de Catalunya

Traditional methods of document preservation are out of time in the digital world. In cartography, the transformation of traditional processes into digital ones as data capture, mapping, dissemination even the use of maps and data by the users, it has made us to realize how easy can be to lose geoinformation; just when a new version of one document appears it leaves earlier versions quickly relegated into oblivion. Mapping agencies must consider that they have become also agents in the process of preservation of digital geoinformation. The life-cycle of cartographic information doesn't end with its dissemination and it must be already foreseen in its design the parameters that ensure the sustainability. Although by the moment the preservation aspects have not been taken into account in the development of the INSPIRE directive, they should be considered in order to warranty the future availability of the data as cartographic heritage. This paper presents the first steps that the ICGC faces the data preservation in the broadest sense. The project starts designing a strategy for the future, which consist on complementing the product description with preservation metadata and an internal study of the files generated in the ICGC production flows to determine the life-cycle of each of them and discern those files will become the ones to preserve. This is a transversal project that affects all areas of the Institute, from data capture to web broadcast through the different production phases and also involves the map library on its role of map cataloging. The main objective is the preservation of cartographic data generated by the ICGC regardless of their support. The fact, however, that the ICGC leads the coordination of the cartographic production of Catalonia has encouraged considering the issue of preservation not only as an internal project but also as a collaboration project between Catalan institutions. Coordination should allow saving resources, avoiding duplication and taking advantage of synergies between the different institutions producing maps of Catalonia.