User:Loop120/Indoor Mapping Notes/Libraries
Although a few libraries have been mapped, most of the points of interest they contain do not have well-known tags. Let's start with an inventory of what's inside a library.
What's in a library?
Service desks
Some of these desks might only be found in a larger library.
- Checkout desk (for checking items out of the library)
- Registration desk (where one can obtain or renew a library card)
- Info (gives out information and helps with searches, does not provide)
- Service desk (for anything else, might also include any of the above)
Devices
- Self-checkout machines
- Book return
- Box
- Slot
- Machine
- Payment machine
- Renewal machine (usually the same as a self-checkout machine, but outside the reading hall)
- Printer-copier
- Scanner or book scanner
- Kiosk computers for browsing the catalog
- Public PCs
- Microfiche and microfilm viewers and scanners
- Card catalog (if any library still has one)
Rooms
- Reading hall
- Lobby
- Copy room
- Microfiche room
- Media-listening room
- Locker room
- Inter-library loan pickup room or area
- PC room
- Catalog room
- Café
Shelves
Saved the most important for last.
There's also microfiche and microfilm cabinets.
Tags
Which tags are already in use? If none, which could be used?
Service desks
I haven't found any tags for this in the examples below. Some ideas:
- Re-use the widely-used Tag:amenity=reception_desk together with the little-used Key:reception_desk_for in order to distinguish different kinds of service desks.
- Introduce amenity=service_desk that covers any kind of desk where a service or support is offered, along with Key:service to specify the service offered.
Self-checkout machines
Book return
Tag:amenity=library_dropoff is defined as "A remote dropoff location for a library". In practice the tag is mostly used for dropoff slots just outside the library. It is occasionally used indoors.
There is also Tag:amenity=vending_machine in combination with Tag:vending=book_return, which is used 4x in Germany, but this couldn't be used for book return slots and bins, creating an inconsistency between libraries that have book return machines and those with bins.
Payment machine
There is Tag:amenity=payment_terminal which could be combined with another tag to indicate that it is for paying library fees.
Alternatively Tag:amenity=vending_machine could be used in conjunction with a Key:vending tag.
Copier
There are some cases in taginfo, with very little use:
- amenity=copy_machine
- amenity=vending_machine with vending=copy_machine (however these machines often offer free scanning)
Book scanner
A device specially-built for copying books.
Rooms
Key:room has a list of room types from another standard (CityGML). It has rooms such as "lobby", "media", "conference", "reception", "archive", "copier", "printer", "computer", "information". It lacks tags for a locker room, catalog room, microfiche room, and reading hall.
Shelves
Some of the examples below use the barrier key or indoor=wall tag, which has the advantages of being shown in renderers todays. However there is some opposition to this, given that the goal of a shelf is not to create a barrier. See Proposal:Amenity=shelf for a proposal to solve this issue.