1. HISCOM An Australian Virtual Herbarium Jim Croft Australian National Herbarium

2. HISCOM Panel u HISCOM members F AD - Bill Barker F BRI - Peter Bostock F CANB - Greg Whitbread F DNA - Anne Fuchs F HO - F MEL - Marco Duretto, Paul Cholodniuk F NSW - Barry Conn F PERTH - Alex Chapman

3. HISCOM This Presentation u Description of an AVH u Need for an AVH u Preparedness for a AVH u Options for an AVH

4. HISCOM AVH - Keywords u Herbarium –Collections of botanical specimens –Sources of botanical knowledge and expertise –Sources of botanical information

5. HISCOM AVH - Keywords u Virtual –Appearing as –Computer dependent –Graphic, visual –High Tech –On-line

6. HISCOM AVH - Keywords u Australian –Implies national in coverage and view –States and territories –Government, educational –Distributed

7. HISCOM Name Options u Australian Virtual Herbarium u Australian Herbarium Virtuality u Virtual Herbarium of Australia u Virtual Australian Herbarium

8. HISCOM What is an AVH like? u Conceptual parallels in the: –Australian National Rare and Endangered Plant Collection –Australian National Fungi Collection –Australian National Plant Collection

9. HISCOM Foci of the AVH u Past (and current) foci –data –database design –technology –networks u Focus for an AVH –Information

10. HISCOM Why do we need an AVH? u Increasing expectations and demands on herbaria u Increasing costs of using duplicated data u Decreasing staff resources for herbaria u Gaps in individual data coverage u Competition from other sources u Demonstrable relevance of herbaria

11. HISCOM Cost of Specimen Data u Excluding computing & herbarium support u $ 4 (- 5) per collection –c. $ 2 data entry –c. $ 2 geocode calculation/verification u Each duplicate redone by recipients u Maybe 4 - 6 duplicates per collection u 6 million herbarium specimens in Australia u Less than 50% databased

12. HISCOM Costs of Other Data u Each herbarium maintains census u Each herbarium maintains taxonomy u Each taxonomist maintains a taxonomy u ? 5-6 x duplication of effort (Total curation costs: $ 25-50 / specimen)

13. HISCOM Australian Herbarium Collections u Herbaria completely databased –BRI - 600 k –QRS - 100 k –DNA - 170 k –PERTH - 400 k

14. HISCOM Australian Herbarium Collections u Herbaria partially databased –AD - 800 k (13 %) –CANB - 900 k (45 %) –HO - 350 k (20 %) –MEL - 1 M (6 %) –NSW - 900 k (25%)

15. HISCOM Australian Herbarium Collections u Summary estimates from State Herbaria –November 1996 u c. 5.3 million collections u c. 2.2 million databased u c. 42 % databased

16. HISCOM Australian Herbarium Collections u c. $ 12 M to complete the job! u c. $ 1.5 M if we share the task! u Divided views in the past: –High priority - do it now –Collect more - do it later

17. HISCOM Benefits of an AVH u Shared and common data u Common standards u Common authority files u Shared data entry and curation u Access to a larger database u Access to larger body of expertise

18. HISCOM Where have we come from? u Printed books, articles u Ledgers and cards (‘60s) u Simple databases (‘70s) u Complex databases (‘80s/90s) u Network connection (‘90s) u Exchange of and sharing data (‘90s)

19. HISCOM Are we ready for an AVH? u Computerized collections data u Compatible database design u Common data standards u Agreed data interchange format (HISPID) u Increased technical understanding u Common purpose u Goodwill

20. HISCOM Elements of an AVH –Plant name information –Specimen information –Observational information –Taxon information –Mapping and distributional information –Expanding botanical knowledge –Dissemination of knowledge –Linking with other programs

21. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Plant name information –Nomenclatural –Taxonomic –Systematic –Typification –Bibliographic –Common names

22. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Specimen information –Collections information –Transactions (accessions, loans) –Taxonomically authenticated point locality information –Images F live material, morphological, anatomical

23. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Observational information –Surveys –Sightings –Anecdotal reports

24. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Taxon information –Descriptive F Monographs, revisions, Floras, etc. –Images F live material, morphological, anatomical –Expert Identification systems F Intkey, Lucid, Meka, etc.

25. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Mapping and distributional information –checklists, censuses –Electronic gazetteers –GIS output –Modeling –Predictive output

26. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Expanding botanical knowledge –phylogenetic analysis –genetic studies –taxonomic research

27. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Dissemination of knowledge –Basic data –Derived information –Published floras –Educational information –Biological information systems

28. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Linking with other programs –Regional biodiversity, environmental, resource surveys F State and Territory surveys F Local Surveys

29. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Linking with other programs (cont.) –National biodiversity, environmental, resource surveys F ABRS F TSCS (ESU) F NHT (Landcare, RFA, CRA, etc.) F ERIN F NRIC

30. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Linking with other programs (cont.) –International projects F Plant Names Project F IOPI F Species 2000 F NSF/ASC collections projects F World Bank / GEF F Data repatriation

31. HISCOM Elements of an AVH (cont.) u Tools and Technology –Network Connectivity: Internet, WWW –Database functionality –Applications

32. HISCOM Can we build an AVH? u We have the technology u We have the ability u We have the data u We have the protocols and standards u Do we have the will?

33. HISCOM Where to start? u We are exchanging data u Taxonomic and census data u Specimen data u Build a virtual type herbarium? u ?

34. HISCOM Principles for an AVH –Shared –Collaborative –Distributed –Dynamic –Accessible –Authoritative –Strategic and proactive –Relevant

35. HISCOM