Discovering the Artistry in Field Books: Intersection of Art and Science
Jun 29, 2015
Discovering the Artistry in Field Books: Intersection of Art and Science
National Museum of Natural History & Smithsonian Institution Archives
Mission: to create a Field Book Registry, one online location for field book content everywhere.
Why the Field Book Project?
• Field books are not co-located
• Access points are inconsistent
• Field Books are Hidden Collections!
What do we do?
+ CATALOG+ Conserve+ Digitize
Unpublished, original record of field events leading up to and including the collection of biological specimens.
What are field books?
What can these materials tell us?
+ Specimens+ Environment+ Collecting Event
SPECIMENS
ENVIRONMENT
+ paint a picture of a specific place at a specific time
+ what did the landscape look like? What species thrived?
COLLECTING EVENTCOLLECTING EVENT
Context
All about relationships
Linking :• Collections• Items• People• Organizations• Expeditions
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
Overview of Description
Challenges
What is it?
Crowdsourcing
Flickr: http://tinyurl.com/fbpflickr
Blog: http://nmnh.typepad.com/fieldbooks/
Twitter:http://twitter.com/!/fieldbookproj
Websitehttp://mnh.si.edu/rc/fieldbooks/
Field Book Project TeamRusty RussellCollections & Informatics, BotanyAnne Van CampDirector, SI Archives
Carolyn Sheffield, Project ManagerSonoe Nakasone, Cataloging CoordinatorLesley Parilla, Cataloger and Graphics DesignerEmily Hunter, Cataloger and Social Media Coordinator
Ricc Ferrante, Director of Digital Services, SIAKira Cherrix, Image and Video Digitization Specialist, SIATammy Peters, Supervisory Archivist, SIASarah Stauderman, Collections Care Manager, SIANora Lockshin, Paper Conservator, SIAJanelle Batkin-Hall, Conservation Technician, SIAKirsten Tyree, Conservation Technician, SIA