31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Julia Hoare Digitising Linnaeus: developing global access to taxonomic collections

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Computer Access to the Records of the Linnean Society; the CARLS programme –Background –Started 2002, Program definition –2006 digitisation, refine program –2008 move to support

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions –The CARLS program consists of: –Linnaeus Plant Name Typification Project √ –Library Catalogue √ –Linnaean Correspondence –Linnaeus Link Union Catalogue –Digitisation of the Linnaean Collections

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions How the project is funded –Primarily from a generous donation from the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Trust (now the Arcadia Trust) –From within the Society’s own resources

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Why are we doing this work The Society is an important resource in the interpretation of systematic botany, conservation, biodiversity assessment and management. The program will: –Provide access to the unique and priceless scientific collections to everyone –Promote the public understanding of science –Support taxonomy (biological classification) and promote it as a discipline and resource –Encourage collaboration between science and the arts –Conserve the collections for the future

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Who are the digital collections aimed at –Primarily researchers, taxonomists, but also lifelong learners and anyone with an interest in taxonomy

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Digitising the Collections –Linnaean Herbarium –Insect Collection –Fish Collection –Shell Collection –Smith Herbarium –Artefacts –Portraits

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions What is being undertaken –Preservation of the collection by creating digital images; –Making the images and associated data available using web technologies; –Increase data held by allowing users to contribute comments and information.

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Challenges of creating digital images –Herbarium sheets cannot be inverted –Dried insects and fish are extremely fragile –Selected specimens require 3D images

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Contracts for digital imaging –The Botany Department at the Natural History Museum for the herbarium specimens –The Entomological Department at the Natural History Museum for the insect collection –All images are being taken at 600dpi

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Storage Space Requirements CollectionSpecimensImagesSpace Reqd Linnean Herbarium x 130Mb2.2Tb Insects x 40Mb1.5Tb Shells/Fish x 300Mb2.4Tb Portraits x 50Mb65Gb Artefacts x 50Mb5Gb Correspondence x 30Mb1.5Tb Smith Herbarium x 130Mb3.9Tb Totals61,40097, Tb

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Storage Options – Short Term –Internal office network –CD’s and/or DVD’s –Portable hard drives

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Storage Options – Long Term –Identify the requirements –Retrieval of high resolution images –Preservation of images –Network Attached Storage –External Hosting

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Content Management System –Each collection has its own data requirements –Needed to ensure that searching across fields was possible –Metadata to support the images, including DOIs –Make best use of Web 2 technologies –FSI Viewer

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Basic Search screen in Collections CMS:

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Example of a search results screen :

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Sample of a Detailed collection record

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions

31 st May 2007Image Management in Bio- and Environmental Sciences: New Directions Julia Hoare CARLS Programme Consultant Linnean Society of London Tel: