Nile Google: The Nile Basin Spatial Text Library

A software was developed for the NBI library which now allows storage and retrieval of documents in a spatial context. This library system answers the need of linking narrative information to spatial geographic references. As such it enables a new way of handling and integrating natural language information in the form of text and in conjunction with other qualitative and quantitative spatial data sources.

The system facilitates working with spatial text. Spatial text in the NBI library involves all documents that describe localized conditions. These localized conditions are identified by place names applied throughout the text to describe specific areas.

The system is geared with a digital gazetteer for the Nile Basin area and contains more than 100.000 geographic names. In the GIS system the user can pick any geographic area and get access to relevant text references through a key word box. A build in full text search engine is applied to bring forward all documents of interest within the user selected area.

While the system has high potential both for experts and general users it was designed to effectively explore different geographical settings and rapidly find existing thematic reports for these locations. Given the broader user community it was developed for it works with commonly available softwares and formats as ArcView, MsAccess, PDF and HTML.

The library system is currently installed as a stand alone version at the NileSec library in Entebbe. It awaits the compilation of the document database and a network installation for library visitors. Training materials and events will be developed and executed over the second half of 2006.

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