[Taxacom] Survey on ‘Natural History Specimen Digitisation: Challenges and C oncerns Concerns’

[Vishwas Chavan (GBIF)]

Calling all collection managers, curators and administrators! Please
participate in a survey on Natural History Specimen Digitisation:
Challenges and Concerns.

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility has formed a task group with
the title, ‘Global Strategy and Action Plan for Digitisation and
Mobilisation of Natural History Collections Data. This Task Group, in
collaboration with the CollectionsWeb Research Coordination Network
(www.collectionsweb.org) and Society for the Preservation of Natural
History Collections (www.spnhc.org), is pleased to announce a survey,
“Natural History Specimen Digitisation: Challenges and Concerns.” The
purpose of this survey is to provide practical information to
administrators, curators, and managers at all levels about the challenges
presented by digitisation, and the ways in which these have been addressed
in diverse collections. GBIF will make the findings of the survey public.

Recognising the abundance of natural history specimens (several billion
globally) and the importance of associated information, digitisation must
be prioritised to have the maximum impact in the shortest amount of time
and at a reasonable cost. The Task Group is working to investigate and
develop a plan of action for digitisation at multiple levels, from
individual collections to regional, national, and global coordination.

The survey, which is accessible at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=u2F41aWI_2fPJzG0_2f4kWH4DQ_3d_3d, is
open through June 20, 2009. The survey requires approximately 35 minutes
to complete.

For further details please contact Drs. James Macklin (email:
jmacklin at oeb.harvard.edu), Co-Chair, GSAP-NHC Task Group, Walter
Berendsohn (email: w.berendsohn at bgbm.org), Chair, GSAP-NHC Task Group and
Vishwas Chavan (email: vchavan at gbif.org), Senior Programme Officer for
DIGIT.
-- 
Vishwas Chavan, Ph.D.
Senior Program Officer for DIGIT
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
15 Universitetsparken, DK 2100, Copenhagen, Denamrk
Tel. +45 35 32 14 75, Fax. +45 35 32 14 80
Email - vchavan at gbif.org
Web - www.gbif.org