Observations on a scrapbook attributed to John Thomson at George Eastman House

This thesis comprises a description and analysis of a personal scrapbook with 123 albumen prints compiled in the nineteenth century. Originally attributed to photographer John Thomson (1837–1921), it is held by George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film. The goal of this thesis is to critically examine the original catalogue records and provide more appropriate and searchable catalogue information in the Eastman House’s collection management system. Histories of photography in Asian countries featured in the scrapbook, and an account of Thomson's career contextualize the scrapbook. A detailed analysis of this scrapbook focuses on the attribution and subjects of the photographs and the compiler of the scrapbook. While the attributions for all the images can not be confirmed, this thesis provides more accurate and reliable information about this scrapbook and, therefore, paves the way for future research on this scrapbook and the history of the nineteenth-century Far East photography.

Observations on a scrapbook attributed to John Thomson at George Eastman House

This thesis comprises a description and analysis of a personal scrapbook with 123 albumen prints compiled in the nineteenth century. Originally attributed to photographer John Thomson (1837–1921), it is held by George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film. The goal of this thesis is to critically examine the original catalogue records and provide more appropriate and searchable catalogue information in the Eastman House’s collection management system. Histories of photography in Asian countries featured in the scrapbook, and an account of Thomson's career contextualize the scrapbook. A detailed analysis of this scrapbook focuses on the attribution and subjects of the photographs and the compiler of the scrapbook. While the attributions for all the images can not be confirmed, this thesis provides more accurate and reliable information about this scrapbook and, therefore, paves the way for future research on this scrapbook and the history of the nineteenth-century Far East photography.

Preserving a Pandemic with Zoom: The National Nordic Museum’s COVID-19 Oral History Project

In April 2020, the National Nordic Museum (NNM) in Seattle launched an oral history initiative titled “A Pandemic Preserved: The COVID-19 Crisis in the Nordic Countries and the Pacific Northwest.” Utilizing the video conferencing platform Zoom, the NNM has collected the stories of individuals impacted by the coronavirus in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Washington state, the first reported epicenter in the United States. Augmenting an existing collection of more than 900 oral history interviews, “A Pandemic Preserved” privileges current perspectives of ongoing events over retrospection. With the consent of the participants, the recordings are made accessible to researchers through the Museum’s collection management system (CMS), as well as promoted periodically to a general audience through social media channels to foster online engagement during closure. This article will examine the project’s scope, execution, products, dissemination to academic and general audiences, and relation to the NNM’s existing oral history collection. It will also consider how a project that captures response to a global health crisis realizes the Museum’s collecting goals in comparative and area studies.

From Field to Web: Pre-entry point digitisation

Most digitisation workflows are focused on legacy material, due to the sheer number of objects already collected. However, it is just as important to develop protocols for digitisation of incoming material to reduce accumulation of an additional backlog. This is especially crucial with the advent of molecular collections and field sequencing. In-the-field extraction and sequencing (Oxford Nanopore Technologies 2018) may lead to increasing numbers of voucher specimens without proper collection data and labels; or specimens disassociated with data. It is easy for researchers occupied by collecting and sequencing to delay proper documentation until a later date. As a curator, I can vouch that specimens without properly recorded data (with only collecting codes, for example) are lost for science. Fortunately, a combination of the best collecting and curatorial practices, simple online and offline tools, and modern technologies, makes in-the-field digitisation a reality. In the last couple of years, entomologists at the National Museums Scotland (NMS) have been testing the following workflow: Collecting routes and points are recorded with ViewRanger (Augmentra Ltd 2019), available as an app for mobile phones; At the moment of collecting, event data is recorded with Epicollect5 (Imperial College London 2019), available as Android app. Software's field generator allows creation of different scenarios, depending on method or circumstances of collection; and records main types of data: text, dates, time, coordinates. Individual collecting code is associated with the record; Specimens collected are prepared (pinned, stored in preservative, dried, etc.) and associated with corresponding collecting code; Additional data (diary records) is recorded in a notebook with Neo Smartpen (NEO SMARTPEN Inc. 2017) and digitsed. Collecting event records are imported into a collection management system (CMS) (PAPIS, Pape and Ioannou 2019) or EarthCape (EarthCape 2019); Specimen lots (if relevant) are sorted to a desirable level; Multiple specimen or lot records are created in CMS based on collecting event records; Data labels and UID labels are printed and physically associated with specimens or lots; Additional data (klm file of collecting route, diary records) are imported and associated with collecting events. Collecting routes and points are recorded with ViewRanger (Augmentra Ltd 2019), available as an app for mobile phones; At the moment of collecting, event data is recorded with Epicollect5 (Imperial College London 2019), available as Android app. Software's field generator allows creation of different scenarios, depending on method or circumstances of collection; and records main types of data: text, dates, time, coordinates. Individual collecting code is associated with the record; Specimens collected are prepared (pinned, stored in preservative, dried, etc.) and associated with corresponding collecting code; Additional data (diary records) is recorded in a notebook with Neo Smartpen (NEO SMARTPEN Inc. 2017) and digitsed. Collecting event records are imported into a collection management system (CMS) (PAPIS, Pape and Ioannou 2019) or EarthCape (EarthCape 2019); Specimen lots (if relevant) are sorted to a desirable level; Multiple specimen or lot records are created in CMS based on collecting event records; Data labels and UID labels are printed and physically associated with specimens or lots; Additional data (klm file of collecting route, diary records) are imported and associated with collecting events. Steps 1-4, and, depending on available facilities, steps 5-9, can be performed in the field, before specimens reach the depository. Alternatively, steps 5-9 should be performed immediately on returning from the field. There is no excuse for newly collected material not to be digitised before it is reaches the collection. Recent entomological collecting trips of NMS yielded 7358 specimens from 72 collecting events, fully documented and digitised in a matter of hours.

DINA: Open Source and Open Services - A modern approach for natural history collection management systems and research

The DINA Consortium (“DIgital information system for NAtural history data”, https://dina-project.net ) was formed in order to provide a framework for like-minded large natural history collection-holding institutions to collaborate through a distributed Open Source development model to produce a flexible and sustainable collection management system. Target collections include zoological, botanical, mycological, geological and paleontological collections, living collections, biodiversity inventories, observation records, and molecular data. DINA is funded by the participating member institutions. DINA Core Members are organizations or individuals who commit at least one half-time equivalent of resources to the development of the consortium goals, at least half of which should be available for code development. The DINA system is architected as a loosely-coupled set of several web-based modules. The conceptual basis for this modular ecosystem is a compilation of comprehensive guidelines for Web application programming interfaces (APIs) to guarantee the interoperability of its components. Thus, all DINA components can be modified or even replaced by other components without crashing the rest of the system as long as they are DINA compliant. Furthermore, the modularity enables the institutions to host only the components they need. DINA focuses on an Open Source software philosophy and on community-driven open development, so the contributors share their development resources and expertise outside of their own institutions. One of the overarching reasons to develop a new collection management system is the need to better model complex relationships between collection objects (typically specimens), research data and associated workflows. We will present the enhancements provided by the approach of the DINA system focussing on the flexibility to plug in compliant components and accommodate additional (meta-)data and specimen related research data with the help of a generic data module. Furthermore, we will discuss challenges in the governance of the development activities such as organizing the distributed code development of the core modules, the code review process and the choice of the software stack. These organizational challenges will be overcome with the help of a revised Memorandum of Understanding.

Database Tools to Meet the Nagoya Protocol Requirements in a Collection Management System

The Nagoya Protocol (NP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity requires that genetic resource holders and users obtain, preserve and keep relevant documentation. Users and third parties need to be informed on terms of access, which utilisation is allowed, and which benefits need to be shared when respective genetic resources or associated traditional knowledge is utilised in the meaning of the NP. Following the recommendations in the Code of Conduct & Best Practices of the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF) CETAF Legislations and Regulations Liaison Group 2019, institutions should implement appropriate data management systems to support compliance with the protocol and keep records on acquisition of biological material, utilization of genetic resources, transfers to third parties, benefits derived and shared, and deaccessioning of specimens or disposal of consumed samples. Here we describe how we have implemented the first set of tools to meet the NP requirements in the Kotka Collection Management System (CMS), which is used by eleven Natural History Museums in Finland. The Kotka CMS is used for storing and managing specimen data and for handling material transactions (loans, exchanges, donations and consumptive loans). Users can enter and store all necessary documentation for both incoming and outgoing material as material transactions, which hold information on e.g., the transaction type, description of the material, important dates, correspondent organization and contact person. Specimens are linked to transactions by their unique identifiers and each transaction also has a unique stable identifier. The first version of the tools for meeting the requirements of the Nagoya protocol on both in situ and ex situ accession of genetic resources have been integrated into the transaction section of the system. For genetic resource users to be able to enter, save and provide all the required information about an incoming genetic resource, we have implemented a set of fields to be completed in the transactions in Kotka CMS (Fig. 1). Users can record, for example, a possible IRCC number (Internationally Recognized Certificate of Compliance), acquisition date and providing country, description of the material, information on Prior Informed Consent, Mutually Agreed Terms, Material Transfer Agreement and other possible permits. The Finnish genomic resource legislation requires a notification within one month of acquisition to the Competent National Authority (CNA; The Finnish Environment Institute and Natural Resources Institute Finland) for any imported genetic resources. The required data for the notification is compiled in Kotka CMS and then sent to the CNA. All the documentation and conditions regulating the utilisation of each specimen and derived samples must follow with the specimen data at all times. To accomplish this all the necessary information and documents are linked from the material transactions to the relevant specimens by unique specimen or sample identifiers. In the specimen view page, links to the full transaction details and history are given, as a single specimen or a derived sample can be part of several different types of transactions. Users also see a summary of the transaction information directly in the specimen view, most importantly whether the specimen is available for genetic research or has any restrictions for use. The Kotka CMS transaction section makes use of the Application Programming Interface (API) provided by the Access and Benefit Sharing Clearing House (ABS-CH). Using the API, Kotka CMS validates the IRCC number if given and provides links to the ABS-CH, for example to the relevant country profile page, the contact details of the CNA, and specific requirements for access to genetic resources when applicable. This way, we provide Kotka CMS users up-to-date information from the original source to support their genetic resource management. We will further improve and develop the tools during the years 2019-2020. Now that the first version is in use, we will make adjustments according to user feedback. We also have a few changes planned, for example, the tools for transferring the necessary information on permits and other details with outgoing specimens to a user in another institution abroad will be updated. All users in Finnish natural history institutions have access to all the information directly in Kotka CMS, as it is a national system. Additionally, both specimen and transaction information searchability will be refined.