Content and Context:Improving Access to
Biodiversity Field Books
Carolyn Sheffield
Smithsonian Field Books• Estimated 6,000
items• Housed in many
different units, departments, divisions across institution
• “Hidden” collections
Smithsonian Field Books• Estimated 6,000
8,000 items• Housed in many
different units, departments, divisions across institution
• “Hidden” collections
Field Book Project• National Museum of Natural History &
Smithsonian Institution Archives• Starting with SI field books, – Cataloging– Conserving– Digitizing
• Creating one online location for accessing field book content
Field Book Project• National Museum of Natural History &
Smithsonian Institution Archives• Starting with SI field books, – Cataloging– Conserving– Digitizing
• Creating one online location for accessing field book content
David Griffiths, Texas and Mexico 1905
Griffiths’ notes on Tunas Tunas, US National Herbarium
Martin Gorman, Alaska 1902
Joseph Rock, Siam, Burma, Assam 1920-21
How are we going to make these easier to find?
NCD CollectionCollectionId: NCDC78Title: Frederick Coville, field books, 1890-1924Owner: EACO9Creator: EACP173Description: The collection consists of Coville's field notes from botanical collecting and observation efforts in …
MODS Item MODSid: MODSI1281Collection: NCDC78Title: Field notes, Death Valley Expedition, 1891Dates: 1891.05.10-1891.07.30Creator: EACP173Expedition: EACE 0017Abstract: This item contains narrative notes and lists of botanical specimens collected or observed during Coville's research in Death Valley . …
EAC PersonPersonId: EACP173Name: Coville, Frederick (Frederick Vernon), 1867-1937Dates: 1867-1937Biographical history: Frederick Vernon Coville, botanist and blueberry breeder, was born in New York and educated…
EAC ExpeditionExpId: EACE0017Name: Death Valley Expedition Dates: 1890-1891Description: The Death Valley Expedition was the first biological survey to …
EAC OrganizationOrgId: EACO9Name: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany
Existing Standards for Access
StatusCataloging• 6,263 field books• 519 collections• 899 authority filesConservation and Preservation• 291 field booksDigitization• 194 field books
What’s next?
But field books from that expedition are also in my collections…
EAC records and SNAC
EAC records and SNAC
Future Goals
• Move Registry online• Accept content from beyond SI• Submit records to SNAC
Project Team and FundingPrincipal InvestigatorsRusty RussellAnne Van Camp
Project StaffCarolyn SheffieldSonoe NakasoneLesley ParillaEmily Hunter
Project Advisors & SupportRicc FerranteTammy PetersSarah StaudermanNora LockshinKirsten TyreeJanelle Batkin-HallKira Cherrix
Website:http://mnh.si.edu/rc/fieldbooks/
Blog: http://nmnh.typepad.com/fieldbooks/
Flickr: http://tinyurl.com/fbpflickr
Contact: Carolyn Sheffield, [email protected]
Thank you
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