One of the controls on a page can call an information map at the time that the page which contains the control is being rendered. The information map interface provides access to the structure of both the title and the content within the title. The control can then display this structural information in any form it desires since it renders itself on the page at the customer computer. Navigation through the title is based on the customer's interactions with the information map control, i.e., clicking on a navigation link causes the title to navigate to that location. The information map determines which piece of the title and content structure to show, and the visual form in which it is shown. Information maps may have other applications including the efficient creation and modification of timelines and geographic maps in multimedia encyclopedias (e.g., Microsoft Encarta), as well as virtual reality programs.