Specimen databases

[veldkamp]

Mr Luc Willemse of the National Herbarium of the Netherlands, Leiden
Branch, has asked me to forward this to the readers of TAXACOM. Please
respond directly to him.

JeF


>Here in the Netherlands (Leiden (4,000,000 collections), Wageningen (800,000)
>and Utrecht (800,000), we use BRAHMS developed at Univ of Oxford , UK (see
>www.brahms.co.uk). This system has worked well in DOS for years - but the
>upgrade to windows in almost there.
>
>We use the system for general curation (loan management, labels, det lists
>etc) and for a range of research activities - mostly check-listing but also
>monographic work. BRAHMS manages taxa and collections together. The system
>is networked and we are currently merging the three herbaria into one
>larger BRAHMS system to create a National Netherlands database. Images are
>stored in separate files linked to BRAHMS - see our types web site for an
>example (http://nhncml.leidenuniv.nl/rhb).
>
>We use pre-printed, laminated barcodes (Wattson Products, St. Louis, USA)
>- these being entered on all collections as the data are entered using
>BRAHMS Rapid Data Entry module where you select the fields you want and
>need. Barcoding is a key part of the BRAHMS herbarium transactions module
>- greatly optimising the efficiency of loans both going out and returning.
>This has been working now for about 3 years. At the moment data for over
>150,000 collections have been entered.
>
>Data can be processed within BRAHMS to build many "botanical" outputs
>including complex monographic type outputs for specific journals - but also
>directly exported to packages like Excel, Arcview, Mapinfo and Access.
>
>As far I am aware, the new Brahms system (Version 5) is expected September
>this year.
>
>Luc Willemse
>
>***********************************************************************************************
>Luc Willemse                    phone: + 31 71 5273548
>Nationaal Herbarium Nederland   fax       : + 31 71 5273511
>P.O. Box 9514                   email  : Willemse at nhn.leidenuniv.nl
>2300 RA Leiden                  URL:     http://nhncml.leidenuniv.nl/rhb.
>Netherlands
>