Wossac News Blog
- Tribute to Professor Peter Bullock: April, 2008
- Archive and collection prepared for move to Cranfield: March, 2008
- Materials received from Bodleian Library: December, 2007
- Launch of SoilsWorldwide: November, 2007
- Use of Google Maps to show asset location: October, 2007
- Anthony Young's Book "Thin on the Ground" published: September, 2007
- Wossac inventory available via Google Earth: June, 2007
- Downloads available via web: June, 2007
- New accession of HTSPE maps: May, 2007
- John Makin et al's Book "Developing Countries: Evaluation of Land Potential" published: January, 2007
- Search engine improved: November, 2006
- Accession of materials from Reen Ysselmuiden: July, 2006
- Upgrade of the hosted HTSPE webpages: May, 2006
- Visit of Dr David Dent, ISRIC: April, 2006
- Materials donation from Professor Donatello Magaldi: April, 2006
- Accession of former NRI Imagery for WOSSAC: March, 2006
- Google Earth as an interface for WOSSAC: January, 2006
- Accession of HTSPE Ltd. Topographic map collection: January, 2006
- WOSSAC Collection due to be formally Launched: 18th October, 2005
- Launch of new WOSSAC website: September, 2005
- Accession of HTSPE Ltd. Collection: 28th January, 2005
- Visit from Dr Brian Eavis: 19th January, 2005
- Receipt of BBSRC SRI Soil Publication Materials: 4th January, 2005
- Visit from David Riley: 25th November, 2004
- Visit from Professor Anthony Young: 5th July, 2004
- WOSSAC - the establishment of a World Soil Survey Catalogue and Archive: 1st January, 2004
- Open letter to Soil Scientists
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Tribute to Professor Peter Bullock: April, 2008
WOSSAC pays tribute to Professor
Peter Bullock, a leading soil scientist of international repute. Peter
was one of the core founders of the WOSSAC collection and archive, and
his extraordinary vision and commitment to soil science led, amongst many
achievements, to the implementation of WOSSAC in its current form.
Peter Bullock 1937-2008.
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Archive and collection prepared for move to Cranfield: March, 2008
Those familiar with Cranfield will know that sadly the Silsoe Campus is finally to be closed with all activities there moved to the nearby main campus at Cranfield: joining with the many other environmental groups there to form the new School of Applied Science (SAS). Although at the time of writing all environmentally-focussed staff and most related facilities are now moved, the WOSSAC archive and the associated national soils collection remain still at Silsoe. In March, 2008 a huge task has been commenced to sort, organise, catalogue and prepare the materials in the archive to move to their new home at Cranfield. It is anticipated that this process will take many months and involve the labours of many staff - this is no light undertaking! However, the end result will be that these precious materials will be relocated close to the offices of the staff - ending the current rather problematic geographical separation.
One
exciting development in this process is the conversion of the enormous collection
of satellite tape data held at Cranfield to contemporary storage media. We
hold over 10,000 open reel satellite tapes holding data stretching back to
the early days of planetary imaging. It is amazing to think that the data
from all of these tapes, now taking up several rooms, will all fit on one
modern hard disk! These datasets are being processed and copied onto the
Cranfield fileservers in modern image processing format such that they can
be made available, respecting Copyright, to researchers and other interested
parties along with other Wossac materials. Here is a taster of the data we
hold, click each image to see more.
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Materials received from Bodleian Library: December, 2007
The Wossac collection gratefully received a donation of a number of spare mapping items from the Bodleian Library in Oxford. These materials comprised many geological and related maps for Cyprus and Greece. These will be catalogued and entered into the reference collection.
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Launch of SoilsWorldwide: November, 2007
November, 2007 saw the launch of the WOSSAC archives new sister website 'SoilsWorldwide' at http://www.soilsworldwide.net. This presents for the first time online, access to the extensive Soil Photographic Image Catalogue (SoilPIC), a unique collection of photographic imagery from around the world showing the true extent and variety of soil conditions, profiles and associated landscapes. SoilsWorldwide was part funded by the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS).
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Use of Google Maps to show asset location: October, 2007
Much of the catalogue of the Wossac archive consists of entries that have geographical extents associated with them, be they maps, aerial imagery or reports. Here is a link to our 'work in progress' to try and map that using Google Maps.
It's actually not easy to know how to present this information and not to clutter up the map - simply due to the large volume of materials we hold. The Google API offers some promising tools to help achieve this, for instance with display of objects linked to zoom levels etc.
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Anthony Young's Book "Thin on the Ground" published: September, 2007
WOSSAC received a copy of Professor Anthony Young's excellent and informative new book entitled "Thin on the Ground - Land Resource Surveys in British Overseas Territories". This book chronicles the work in British overseas territories undertaken by land resource planners, ecologists and soil surveyors as they mapped the natural resources of many countries for agriculture and rural development. Of course a great many of the documents described in this book are the very ones now held in WOSSAC. This is a fascinating read and provides an insightful exposition of how and why many of the holdings in WOSSAC were created.
Here is a link to purchase this excellent book from Amazon.
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Wossac inventory available via Google Earth: June, 2007
Much of the catalogue of the Wossac archive has geographical extents associated with it. These can be converted into placeholders that can be viewed using Google Earth. The files are in Google Earth KML and KMZ format. So far prototype files are made available (zipped up for download) for:
- Africa (zip) | (kmz)
- America (zip) | (kmz)
- Asia (zip) | (kmz)
- Europe (zip) | (kmz)
- Oceania (zip) | (kmz)
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Downloads available via web: June, 2007
Many of the materials in the WOSSAC archive are being captured in electronic format and certain of these materials are now made available from this Internet website. To see the materials available to date, select a full text search and select the checkbox concerning downloads.
TopNew accession of HTSPE maps: May, 2007
WOSSAC was the recipient of a substantial collection of maps from HTSPE. Some further 2,500 maps arrived on pallets which were unloaded into the archive. These comprise largely African soil maps and topographical studies. The materials are being shelved at present and should hopefully soon appear on the online catalogue.
TopJohn Makin et al's Book "Developing Countries: Evaluation of Land Potential" published: January, 2007
The fascinating story of LRD/LRDC has been captured in this most illuminating book, written by John Makin, John Bennet, Martin Brunt and Chris Griffin. The book tells the story of the Land Resources Division (LRD) of the British Ministry of Overseas Development in their work across some 60 developing countries between 1956 to 2001. The book tells the story behind the organisation itself, and also many of the surveys and investigations which now occupy the archive shelves of WOSSAC.
Here is a link to purchase this excellent book from Amazon.
TopSearch engine improved: November, 2006
The WOSSAC collection search engine has received an overhaul and now presents item information to users in a more intuitive manner, including the ability to identify the 'shelfmark' for items in the collection. This facilitates pre-preparation undertaken before a session in the archive. Items sought can be easily located once on the floor of the archive.
TopAccession of materials from Reen Ysselmuiden: July, 2006
The WOSSAC collection received a significant collection of materials from Mr Reen Ysselmuiden, an experienced and accomplished land and soil surveyor. Reen presented a substantial collection of soil and land survey reports stretching back over his career in Indonesia.
TopUpgrade of the hosted HTSPE webpages: May, 2006
The WOSSAC archive hosts a number of major collections, the most significant of which is that of HTSPE Ltd. A series of web pages have been created to present the subset of materials from HTSPE within the wider WOSSAC collection following the design of the HTSPE website allowing the materials to be fully integrated into the HTSPE web experience.
TopVisit of Dr David Dent, ISRIC: April, 2006
The WOSSAC team receive a visit from Dr David Dent, Director of ISRIC, the World Data Center for Soils who are responsible for collecting, archiving, and distributing data and research information.
One of the key topics of this meeting was to develop the means to coordinate the development of soil-related collections such as those of ISRIC and WOSSAC to contribute to a 'live soils data resource and archive' in the future.
TopMaterials donation from Professor Donatello Magaldi: April, 2006
The WOSSAC team received a kind donation from Professor Donatello Magaldi, Prof.Ordinario di Geologia Applicata DISAT-Universitą di L'Aquila of several key soils documents for Lombardy, Ireland, Kenya and PNG.
TopAccession of former NRI Imagery for WOSSAC: March, 2006
A comprehensive set of satellite and other imagery files and prints were aquired from the University of Grenwich Library at Chatham, representing part of the former NRI collection. These images are predominantly of African scenes and will now be entered within the WOSSAC catalogue system.
NRI, or the Natural Resources Institute was a key organisation for conducting soil and landscape research around the world and it is hoped this aquisition will form an important component of the contemporary WOSSAC archive.
TopGoogle Earth as an interface for WOSSAC: January, 2006
Google Earth is fast becoming a mapping phenomena! One attractive feature of GE is its ability to host user-defined files. Accordingly, a project has commenced to see how easily the vast contents of the WOSSAC archive could be made available within GE. User files are held as 'KML' or 'KMZ' spatial metadata files. If you have Google Earth, you can download the example KML file here to see how this could look.
TopAccession of HTSPE Ltd. Topographic map collection: January, 2006
The WOSSAC collection has received a vast number of topographical maps from around the world, forming part of the former HTSPE Topographic map collection. Arriving together with with three large map chests, these maps were collected over a period of many decades, representing together a unique collection of mapping from around the world. The process of cataloguing these maps will take a considerable time.
TopWOSSAC Collection due to be formally Launched: 18th October, 2005
A formal launch event for the WOSSAC collection and archive is being held on 18/10/2005 at the 2005 Plenary Meeting of the European Soil Bureau Network. This will mark the end of the first phase of WOSSAC, namely the securing and preservation of the extraordinary materials it contains, and the beginning if the second phase of the project, whereby these materials are to be made easily accessible and available for consultation by interested parties. Work is still underway to gain grant support to secure a sound financial footing for the archive in future years, but the progress to the current time has been very promising and productive. Further information on the wider European-level project can be located online at the European Soil Portal.
TopLaunch of new WOSSAC website: September, 2005
The WOSSAC project launches a newly overhauled website offering significantly enhanced options for searching through the contents of the catalogue, as well as for reporting the occasional error (!) in the data entries. The website has been warmly received by the key stakeholders associated with WOSSAC.
TopAccession of HTSPE Ltd. Collection: 28th January, 2005
HTSPE Ltd. present their archive materials to the WOSSAC collection at Cranfield. The WOSSAC project will host the HTSPE Collection of soil-related reports and maps and other media for safe-keeping.The HTSPE Collection is an enormously significant archive representing over 50 years of work by HTSPE and the precedent Huntings Technical Services Ltd. conducted internationally, pertaining to themes such as soil survey, geology, natural resource management, land evaluation and suitability, topography, remote sensing and GIS. The Collection has three components. Firstly, it comprises paper-based books, reports and related survey documents, many of which contain associated maps, charts, figures and illustrations. It is estimated there are some 3,500 items in this category. Secondly there are a substantial number of 'stand-alone' maps produced either directly by the projects, or acquired as part of those activities. It is estimated there are some 3,000 items in this category. Thirdly there are a large number of digital data storage media holding computer-compatible datasets associated with these projects. There are many thousand items in this latter category. The HTSPE Collection comprises all these documents, maps and media. After an initial period of cataloging, we shall be establishing the best means for interested parties to access these materials.
TopVisit from Dr Brian Eavis: 19th January, 2005
The WOSSAC team received a donation of a series of soil-related publications, from Dr Brian Eavis, formerly of LRDC. These will be catalogued into the system and made available.
TopReceipt of BBSRC SRI Soil Publication Materials: 4th January, 2005
The WOSSAC team received a donation of a series of soil-related publications, noteably concerning vertisols from BBSRCs Silsoe Research Institute (SRI) library. These will be catalogued into the system and made available.
TopVisit from David Riley: 25th November, 2004
The WOSSAC team were grateful to receive a donation of a series of African soil survey materials from David Riley which will help boost the archive holdings.
Visit from Professor Anthony Young: 5th July, 2004
The WOSSAC team were pleased to receive a visit from the eminent soil scientist Professor Anthony Young, who was keen to learn about the work of the project. Professor Young's website at http://www.land-resources.com outlines his long-standing experience in all aspects of land resources, including survey, evaluation, planning, conservation and management.
WOSSAC - the establishment of a World Soil Survey Catalogue and Archive: 1st January, 2004
The WOSSAC team have recently commenced the process of contacting a wide range of persons and organisations who may have an interest in the project and its aims. If you hold such materials and would wish to assist the project, we would invite you to get in touch with the WOSSAC team directly.
TopOpen letter to Soil Scientists
We draw the WOSSAC project to soil scientist's attention, hoping that you will find the following interesting and worth encouraging.
It has increasingly become a matter of concern for the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) and the Tropical Agricultural Association (TAA), among others, that large numbers of soil surveys made worldwide in the past 80 years in more than 250 countries, principally by British companies and soil survey staff are in danger of being lost, destroyed and becoming generally unavailable. This situation arises at a time when there is reviving interest in soils on global and regional agendas and an increasing realisation of the crucial role of soils in sustainable development and the functioning of the environment.
Many of the surveys were produced in only limited print runs, and many copies have since been lost. For some surveys, the private copies held by individuals are now the only ones remaining. Serious problems arising from this include:
- The private copies are not known about, and not available to individuals or organisations who want soils information about the area.
- The copies are in danger of being lost when private collections are moved or broken up.
There have been earlier proposals to rectify this situation by setting up a central collection, in which people could lodge copies that they no longer need. However these efforts lacked a committed institutional base and made limited progress.
Cranfield University has now taken on the task with the support of BSSS, TAA and the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), and is pleased to pledge its support for the establishment on a World Soil Survey Archive and Catalogue (WOSSAC) of materials on its Silsoe Campus and under the management of the National Soil Resources Institute. The aims of WOSSAC are:
- To establish an accessible archive of hard copies of endangered soil survey reports, maps and other relevant materials.
- To establish an interactive online catalogue of all surveys known, including those in the Archive at Silsoe and those remaining in company and private hands elsewhere.
- Although WOSSAC will initially concentrate on British-sourced materials, the eventual aim is to link the WOSSAC catalogue with other major databases, to form a global network of information on soil surveys.
Cranfield University is pleased to take responsibility for this project and will find sufficient space to house the hard copy archive into the foreseeable future, safeguard it to the best of its ability and provide access to visitors wishing to inspect the material. An archivist is being employed part time to organise the collection and to provide access facilities.
WOSSAC and Cranfield University are anxious not to infringe, in spirit or in letter, on the copyright and other intellectual property rights of the original publishers of the surveys. We are therefore in the process of getting clearance from DfID and other funding agencies, who financed many of the surveys, to hold them available for public access
Individuals who are interested can participate by:
- Depositing reports, maps or other materials with the Archive at Silsoe
- Retaining their materials, but entering the details into the on-line Catalogue, so that people know of the existence and whereabouts of rare surveys.
- Letting us know of all others who might wish to participate.
People who follow the second option above, might like to ensure that their collections are eventually deposited with the WOSSAC Archive when they no longer need them.
We should stress that this is a non-commercial venture, and that we intend to charge users only for covering our essential costs and for copying, scanning and mailing etc. Cranfield University will supply some of the physical resources needed, and WOSSAC will seek external funding for its operation, maintenance and operating costs in the future.
We shall be publicising this initiative through BSSS, TAA , IPSS, the Association for Better Land Husbandry, and other professional societies, and also through less formal channels, such as reunions. Please bear with us if you are approached several times. We have to risk repetition and overlap if we want to get good coverage.
We hope that you will be able to support and participate in this project. We shall be happy to provide any further information and/or to attend any meetings that you think may help in clarification.
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