The EDIT Director of Collections working group - Background, activities, results -

The EDIT Director of Collections The EDIT Director of Collections working group working group

- Background, activities, results -- Background, activities, results -

66thth EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17 EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17thth December 2009 December 2009

Christiane Quaisser, René Dekker, Michel Guiraud, Rob Huxley, Christiane Quaisser, René Dekker, Michel Guiraud, Rob Huxley, David Mabberley, Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds & Clare ValentineDavid Mabberley, Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds & Clare Valentine

WP3 Infrastructure objectivesWP3 Infrastructure objectives

• Sustainable European infrastructure under a common research mission

• Integration of physical (collections, labs, archives) and digital infrastructure

• Reduction of the number of links in the chains of network decision making

• Common policy on the role of natural history collections in nature conservation, together with other international taxonomic infrastructures


• Directors or heads of collections of 16 EDIT institutions: BGBM, HNHM, IBPAN, MfN, MIZPAN, MNHN, NBGB, NHML, NHN, NNM, RBGK, RBINS, RMCA, SMNS, UKBH, ZMA

• Structures: task group, coordinator• Initiated in June 2008, two full DoC, three task group meetings

Agreed policies & strategies Efficiency, cooperation with

regard to collection preservation and access

Implementation of SYNTHESYS results

Directors of Collections (DoC)


Current and future activitiesCurrent and future activities


Agreed scientific loan policy including molecular collections and destructive sampling

“Clearing house” for orphaned collections Comparison of collection management organisational

structures Opportunities for and scope of a EU collection managers

association Priorities and strategies for specimen digitisation Set up a helpdesk for raising cm standards with SYNTHESYS NA2 Collections security, e.g. theft Continuation of DoC after EDIT

Background: depending on history, politics, size of institution, staff development & needs, etc

NH museums organise their staff in many ways

Researcher with parts Fulltime collection of work devoted to CM manager

Optimal structures for CM?Optimal structures for CM?

Best practice in CM

Staff development

Communication intern CM & to user


affects

AimAim: : series of series of model structures with advantages and model structures with advantages and disadvantages to encourage institutions to adopt disadvantages to encourage institutions to adopt structures that help the long-term preservation of and structures that help the long-term preservation of and access to collectionsaccess to collections

HowHow: : standard interviews with key staff from a selection of standard interviews with key staff from a selection of institutions of varying sizes, status and focusinstitutions of varying sizes, status and focus

Report:Report:published in 2010published in 2010

Optimal structures for CM?Optimal structures for CM?


EU collection managers forum?EU collection managers forum?

• Situation: A) specialist groups, B) regional to national collection management societies

• Aim: increase quality and efficiency of collection management by sharing knowledge and joining forces across disciplines and borders

• Structure: (Independent) forum integrating EU NH collection managers?

• How: questionnaire on experiences, general interest,language barrier, elements ofstructure & function, commitment


Questionnaire – first resultsQuestionnaire – first results

82 individual replies 10 countries, 28 institutions

80 yes / 2 no58 collection management forum49 taxonomic forum

Language barrier if in English:74 no / 8 yes (French)

Functions: list server, website, meetings, on-line newsletter Membership fee: individual 20 – 40 Euro, institutional

membership Affiliation: SPNHC


Agreed loan policy - backgroundAgreed loan policy - background

• EDIT objective: develop commonality of policy within an integrated taxonomic facility

• Loans: facilitate access, add value to collections • Risks: damage & loss, monopolising of material • Aims of common loan policy:

- prevent loss & damage- guarantee traceability of specimens- ensure access of material to users- ensure compatible quality standards and rules in all institutions


Current statusCurrent status

• Initial document circulated

• Document revised following further discussions at DoC core group meeting in Carvoeiro on 15th Dec. 2009

• Conclusion: document will be re-organised as follows- main principles governing loans- standards for management of loans- new: model policy (guidelines) to assist institutions in drawing up their own institutional policies

• Ask the BoD to agree in principle to the development of the document as described at this meeting


Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!Christiane Quaisser, Christiane Quaisser, Museum fuer Naturkunde Berlin, Museum fuer Naturkunde Berlin,

[email protected]@mfn-berlin.de

RRenéené Dekker, Dekker, Naturalis Leiden, Naturalis Leiden, [email protected]@naturalis.nl

Michel GuirauMichel Guiraud, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelled, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, , [email protected]@mnhn.frr

Rob Huxley, Jackie Mackenzie-DoddsRob Huxley, Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds & Clare Valentine, & Clare Valentine, The The Natural History Museum, [email protected], j.mackenzie-Natural History Museum, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]@nhm.ac.uk, [email protected]

David Mabberley, David Mabberley, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, [email protected]@kew.org

Questions?Questions?


EDIT project overviewEDIT project overview

Human Human resourcesresources

Coordinating Coordinating researchresearch

Internet platformInternet platformfor cybertaxonomyfor cybertaxonomy

Web-basedWeb-basedtaxonomytaxonomy

Application to Application to conservationconservation

Training and Training and public awarenesspublic awareness

Managing EDITManaging EDIT

Infrastructure Infrastructure basisbasis

ProductsResources

Methods Spreading


Models of CM structuresModels of CM structures

Full integration

Senior Researcher

Researcher Researcher

Junior /entry level researcher/technician

EntomologyDepartmentEntomologyDepartment

Diptera Coleoptera


Head of Entomology

Models of CM structuresModels of CM structures

Collection – Research - Separation

Collections DepartmentCollections Department Research DepartmentResearch Department

Museum Head of Collections Museum Head of Research

Head of Botany

Senior Researcher

Senior Researcher

Junior researchersCollection managers


1st DoC workshop: issue

Summary of policy documents of 13 institutions

Proposal: items and explanations

Core group (NNM, MNHN, NHM)

2nd DoC workshop: presentation & discussion of revised items

Specified proposal

Draft document to be presented to the EDIT BoD

Final document to be signed by directors

Agreed loan policy - timelineAgreed loan policy - timeline

06/2008

09/200801/200907/2009

12/2009

02/2010


All specimens potentiAll specimens potentially available for loan, exception: ally available for loan, exception: types, extinct species and historical specimens, restriction types, extinct species and historical specimens, restriction on number of specimenson number of specimens

Approved borrowers, recognized institution, at private Approved borrowers, recognized institution, at private addresses only in exceptional caseaddresses only in exceptional casess, no forwarding to 3, no forwarding to 3rdrd parties without approvalparties without approval

Central institutional/departmental contact point for all Central institutional/departmental contact point for all loans within an institution: approval and retrievalloans within an institution: approval and retrieval

Limited duration of loans: initially 12 months, extension Limited duration of loans: initially 12 months, extension twice on application, max. 3 yearstwice on application, max. 3 years

No changes allowed, annotations in accompanying letter or No changes allowed, annotations in accompanying letter or slipslip

Agreed loan policy – components Agreed loan policy – components


No sampling without permissionNo sampling without permission

Specified storage and disinfection conditions, appropriate Specified storage and disinfection conditions, appropriate transport, confirmation on receipt and returntransport, confirmation on receipt and return

Appropriate acknowledgments and feedback, blacklist as an Appropriate acknowledgments and feedback, blacklist as an optionoption

Molecular collections: - Molecular Advisory Panel to advise and confirm feasibility of success, assess applications and review exceptions- Compatibility check of storage conditions- Return of all remaining samples, products on request- Specific rules for IPR e.g. what concerns samples and products

Agreed loan policy - componentsAgreed loan policy - components


FinaliFinalizingzing currecurrent activitiesnt activities

New activitiesNew activities (within the framework of WP3.1 objectives)(within the framework of WP3.1 objectives)

Liaising with science policy Liaising with science policy task groupstask groups to specify research to specify research visions and refine requirements for visions and refine requirements for collectionscollections

Reach commitment of the DoC to work according to the Reach commitment of the DoC to work according to the same standards, and to implement the results of same standards, and to implement the results of SYNTHESYSSYNTHESYS

Business plan for DoCBusiness plan for DoC

DoC – next stepsDoC – next steps


The EDIT Director of Collections working group - Background, activities, results -

Documents

collection management

collection preservation

eu collection managers

molecular collections

heads of collections

collections risks

edit director of collections

eu nh collection managers