Content and Context: Improving Access to Biodiversity Field Books

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, sheffieldc@si.edu

Thank you