[Taxacom] US digital collection resource --- take 2

[Robert Guralnick]

    Hi all  ---  Second posting and reminder:

   In response to the Report from the Interagency Working Group on
Scientific Collections,  federal agencies are becoming more aware that
our nation's biological collections hold critical information that
will inform research on issues such as climate change, biodiversity
loss, invasive species and other national priority environmental
issues. WE SEE LANGUAGE IN FEDERAL BUDGET REQUESTS FOR INCREASED
SUPPORT TO COLLECTIONS IN ORDER TO MEET THE CHALLENGE AND INCREASE THE
VALUE OF THESE COLLECTIONS.   A MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR
EFFORT COULD BECOME AVAILABLE TO DIGITIZE THE NATION'S BIOLOGICAL
COLLECTIONS. Toward that end, we are preparing a strategic plan for a
10-year national effort to digitize and mobilize images and data
associated with biological research collections is being developed.
You can view the plan at http://digbiocol.wordpress.com/]

   This plan requires broad support and input from the collections
community and a diversity of stakeholders. The responses to the plan,
collected through email and blog commentary will be used in future
meetings to complete a strategic plan.  Community feedback on the
initiative outlined here is critical.
Feedback can be made  on the blog post
(http://digbiocol.wordpress.com/) or via email (to
wg-digitization at nescent.org) as described in the attached document.

Specific feedback is needed in areas such as:
 *         support for the proposed model, suggestions for revision
 *         ideas regarding the three-tiered approach suggested here
 *         priorities for collection digitization
 *         ways to maximize collaboration across institutions and
           federal agencies, and at the international level.

This feedback will be aggregated and provided to participants in
future planning sessions that will develop a final strategic plan.
Thanks in advance for taking the time to contribute to this very
important initiative.

Best regards, Rob

Dr. Rob Guralnick
Curator and Assoc. Prof.
CU Museum of Nat. Hist. and Dept. of Ecology and Evol. Biol.
University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder CO 80309-0265
http://robgur.googlepages.com