bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Leveraging Collective Experience to Digitize the Fossil Insects of Los Angeles
Authors: Walker Lindsay , Krimmel Erica , Vendetti Jann , Hendy Austin 
Published: June 2018

The Invertebrate Paleontology Collection at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLA) has received support from the United States National Science Foundation (NSF DBI 1702342) to digitize the museum’s unique and historic collection of 28,000+ fossil insects. The primary goal of this project, “Fossil Insects of L.A.”, is to increase access to these collections for both research and education. Key collections to be become discoverable through iDigBio and iDigPaleo include the Georg Statz Collection (Oligocene, Rott Formation, Germany) and three faunas from Southern California: Barstow (Miocene), Rancho La Brea (Pleistocene), and McKittrick (Pleistocene).
Fossil Insects of L.A. constitutes the final contribution to the Fossil Insect Collaborative Thematic Collections Network (TCN), a consortium of institutions that have been digitizing the largest fossil insect collections in the United States. As a project beginning at the tail-end of the TCN’s active funding, Fossil Insects of L.A. is actively leveraging existing TCN knowledge and resources to streamline workflows and efficiently achieve project goals. In addition to basing imaging and preservation protocols on those designed by TCN partners, Fossil Insects of L.A. is using a layered approach to provide high-quality taxonomic information without sacrificing the pace of specimen digitization. Previously unidentified specimens are initially identified only to Order, allowing them to quickly continue through the digitization process; specimens can then be re-examined by experienced project participants and external experts, who are able to reference the specimen images generated during digitization. A critical and novel aspect of this component of the project’s workflow is the concurrent digitization of the literature associated with the Statz Collection. These data will be used as a test case for the "Enhancing Paleontological and Neontological Data Discovery API" (ePANDDA) project (NSF ICER 1821039), which seeks to associate related datasets found in iDigBio, iDigPaleo, and the Paleobiology Database.
Fossil Insects of L.A. will digitize and make 10,960 specimens publically available online, of which over 6,200 will include images. An additional 15,684 specimen records from the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits will also be included in the data mobilization. In doing so, Fossil Insects of L.A. intends to dramatically enhance the research potential of these formerly hidden collections, as well as synthesize and demonstrate digitization best practices generated through the TCN.
Silcone-Based Solvents and Emulsions for Cleaning Natural Science Specimens: Case Studies from the Otago Museum and Museums Victoria.
Authors: Mildwaters Nyssa , Measday Danielle 
Published: June 2018

Developed by the cosmetics industry, silicone-based solvents such as Cyclomethicone D4 and D5 and emulsifiers Velevsil Plus and KSG 350Z have found useful applications in museum conservation after being pioneered by Richard Wolbers to safety clean acrylic paint films. These products’ unique properties are also applicable for cleaning of natural science specimens. Silicone solvents are volatile and will completely evaporate away from surfaces. They have very low polarity and cannot not solubilise fats or oils, such as natural preen oils found in feathers. Low viscosity gives them the ability to flood a porous surface, such as bone, protecting it from absorbing chemicals and soiling during cleaning. Velevsil Plus and KSG 350Z provide the desirable ability to form an emulsion with water, and or solvents in a silicone based solvent carrier, allowing for the strictly controlled application of water or solvent solutions to the surface of a specimen.
This poster will present case studies from the Otago Museum (Dunedin, New Zealand) and Museums Victoria (Melbourne, Australia) investigating the use of these products in cleaning natural science specimens. The experiments include the removal of an aged wax and shellac coating from a Moa (Dinonris sp.) skeleton, the removal of acrylic coatings on extremely moisture sensitive pyritized fossils, and the cleaning of soiled feathers and fur.
Issues around sourcing and shipping these specialised products to Australasia will also be discussed. The successful application of paintings conservation techniques to scientific specimens demonstrates the benefits of collaboration between specialisations in conservation for developing new techniques for caring for our collections.
Repatriation of Augmented Information to an Institutional Database
Authors: Grant Sharon , Jones Janeen , Webbink Kate , Zschernitz Rob 
Published: June 2018

On the 9th of April 2010 the Field Museum received a momentous email from the ORNIS (ORnithology Network Information System) team informing them that they could now access the products of a nationwide georeferencing project; its bird collection could be, quite literally, put on the map.
On the 7th of August 2017 those data (along with the sister datasets from FISHNet (FISH NETwork) and MaNIS (Mammal Network Information System) finally made their way into the Museum’s collection management system.
It's easy to get data out, why is it so hard to get it back? To make it easier, what do we need to do in terms of coordination, staffing, and/or technological resources? How can tools like data quality flags better accommodate the needs of data-providers as well as data-users elsewhere along the collections data pipeline?
We present a real life case studyof repatriating an enhanced dataset to its institute of origin, including details on timelines, estimates of effort, and lessons learned. The best laid repatriation protocols might not prepare us for everything, but following them more closely might save us some sanity.
Join the Dots: assessing 80 million items at the Natural History Museum, London
Authors: Wilson Scott , Russell Douglas , Miller Giles , Carine Mark , Valentine Clare , Loader Simon , Woodburn Matt , Vincent Sarah , Stevens Lil , Thompson Katie , Smith David , Price Ben , Heath Tracy 
Published: June 2018

Collection needs are a challenge to communicate. Collection staff know the attributes of their collections, but other museum colleagues may not. In collections management, decisions of resource allocation may be made locally, rather than within the context of a larger organisational and strategic framework. The Natural History Museum (NHM), like any of its counterparts, has finite resources to realize its dual role as a centre for research excellence and public engagement in natural history. As such, capturing and communicating collection qualities and needs is essential for effective resource planning across the Museum. Effective museum planning depends upon a variety of factors - not least a clear, holistic understanding of the collections that is not just limited to item condition, but which also takes into account their significance and information value. However, many of these factors can be hard to measure or quantify.
The NHM has implemented a transformative institution-wide collections management project, 'Join the Dots', adapted from a Smithsonian methodology called 'Move the Dots'. This methodology captures the qualities of 80 million items and integrates them with practical and expansive data architecture. Collections are scored across 16 criteria, coordinated by: Condition, Importance, Information and Outreach. The NHM methodology deviates from the Smithsonian source in four significant ways: 1) allowing collection staff to separate collections into discrete 'collection units' and diversifying unit definitions, so data better reflects the practical working arrangement of any collection; 2) criteria have been edited, removed, and added to reduce subjective reportage; 3) a manual has been produced to establish standards across disciplines; 4) comparative analysis is made possible via a web - based tool, through which users can correlate collections data on an interactive graphical display that presents information at levels of overview and at fine granularity. These consistent frameworks move collections assessment from a subjective practice to an objective one.
This methodology continues to adapt based on feedback from staff, initial attempts to interpret the data, and practice. All internal stakeholders can access Join the Dots. Where priority projects are clear, these will become focal points of collection staff forward job plans. This equips collections staff with a tool to communicate collection needs, whilst also ensuring museum planners can articulate the state of collections with precision when presenting to trustees or other high - level audiences. As such, Join the Dots integrates the needs of curatorial practice with the needs of strategic development and policy.
Osteo Preparation Lab: Preserving the Smithsonian Tradition of Collections Access and Collections-based Research
Authors: Haigler Daniella 
Published: June 2018

The National Museum of Natural History is committed to long-term stewardship of collections and to supporting their use by scientists and the general public. Smithsonian’s Osteo Preparation Lab (OPL), in particular, maintains a long-standing tradition of collections access and collections-based research. This tradition of preparing and cataloging osteological specimens traces its origin to the beginning of the Smithsonian Institution itself. In the mid 1800's, James Smithson's legacy called for an Institution with a mission to pursue the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.” Under Spencer Baird, that mission later evolved into a system called collections-based research. This system involved preparing and curating animal specimens for scientific research, which was particularly important for the emerging field of comparative anatomy of vertebrate skeletons.
Today, OPL staff work to catalogue and document vertebrate specimens, which contributes greatly to continuing the historic tradition of collections-based research done at Smithsonian Institution. The preparation and curation procedures of vertebrate specimens relies on the commitment of the OPL staff, as well as the use of dermestid colonies, composting, and other maceration techniques. The lab’s sizeable space and state of the art necropsy equipment for large animal dissections are used on a regular basis by visiting scientists studying vertebrate anatomy. Additionally, the OPL is integrally involved in tissue collection from animal remains, which are held by the museum for research purposes in both collections spaces at the museum and our unique biorepository at the museum support center (MSC). In terms of collections access, the osteology specimens in the museum’s research collections draw scientists from around the world. The research done on the specimens has resulted in many intriguing discoveries.
In terms of public engagement and access, the Smithsonian Institution can boast maintaining a three hundred year old exhibition on vertebrate osteology, which began in 1881. The “Osteology: Hall of Bones” provides visitors with an opportunity to examine the skeletons of a vast array of vertebrate species, ranging from minute birds to giant mammals. The display, while mirroring the selection of species found in the original exhibit from the nineteenth century, enhances the user experience through the integration of modern technologies, like the app “Skin and Bones.” And so, despite the rather unpleasant smell and macabre nature of the work, the Osteo Prep Lab's activities are integral to both the public outreach and research activities of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History.
Revitalization of the University of Iowa's Bird Egg Collection after 100 Years of Dormancy
Authors: Crawford Cody , Opitz Cindy , Roberts Trina 
Published: June 2018

The University of Iowa Museum of Natural History's egg collection spans many avian orders, 6 continents, and over 160 years. However, this collection of approximately 17,000 egg specimens has remained disorganized and underutilized for most of its history. Only in 2017 did the museum begin taking significant steps toward organizing the eggs, cataloging them, and making them and their data available for researchers. Like many museum egg collections, ours is composed mostly of donated private collections originally collected, purchased, or traded between 1870 and 1910, and with variable amounts of data associated with individual specimens. Since the time the eggs were collected, most of them have been separated from the cards on which collectors stored their data.
Much of the current project revolves around reuniting eggs and data cards. We have scanned over 2,000 egg cards, crowdsourced transcriptions of the handwriting, verified the accuracy of each transcription, and added the scans and transcriptions to our database for easy access by museum staff and volunteers. We are using the egg cards, any data written on the eggs, and many books and websites to match eggs with egg cards and integrate the data into our database. The eggs are then placed in new cabinets and relabelled with newly generated database information. Each egg set will be photographed and georeferenced if possible, using the GEOLocate web application. At the end of this project, these specimen records will be integrated into biodiversity repositories such as GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility), Integrated Digitized Biocollections (iDigBio), and VertNet, so they can be downloaded and used by researchers globally, as our bird, mammal and insect collections already are. Most of the work is carried out by a team of volunteers and interns, usually undergraduate students, without whom this project would not be possible at its current pace.
Think of Me When I Am Gone: Assessing Faculty Archives at the Yale Peabody Museum
Authors: White Maureen 
Published: June 2018

For universities with museums and galleries, the inevitability of faculty retirements, departures, and passings is a challenge for collection managers. The preservation and retrieval of archival field records and research is critical to the documentation of museum collections. Unfortunately, there are no expectations for faculty members to donate their personal papers to the museums which curate their collections. The potential to lose essential data, such as provenance information, stresses the importance of tackling these problems early. All too often, decisions about retention of these materials are made by uninformed academic departments or family heirs, and these decisions can be detrimental to the future value of museum collections. The best solution is to be proactive and work with the professor or researcher and academic departments before they are gone.
The Harold C. and Jean M. Conklin Archives at the Yale Peabody Museum will be used as a case study to illustrate the efforts necessary by an institution to preserve vital supporting documentation to its collections. Conklin was a Professor of Anthropology at Yale, a Curator at the Peabody, and a researcher in the field of Southeast Asian studies for over six decades.
Fibres in Meise Botanic Garden: A Future for Heritage Collections?
Authors: Leyman Viviane , Stoffelen Piet , De Smedt Sofie , Bogaerts Ann 
Published: June 2018

The precious historical collection of fibres in Meise Botanic Garden, with over 500 specimens in old hand-blown glass jars, was rehabilitated in 2017. Most of the specimens date back to the second half of the 19th century, a period of technological revolution. The rehabilitation retraces the industrious search for every possible raw material provided by nature at that time. The result is astonishing, not only regarding the origin and quality of the preserved material, its label information and its accompanying manuscripts, but also because of the extremely wide range of fibre species and their processing.
Noted collectors enriching our collections were, inter alios, the Josephite Brother Bernardin of Melle (Belgium), Carl von Martius and his brother Theodor Martius of Erlangen (Germany) and Henri Van Heurck of Antwerp (Belgium). Famous museums and botanic gardens such as the Museum of French Colonies in Paris (France) and the Experimental Garden in Eala (Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC) were also important suppliers. Samples originate from all over the world with strong representation from India, the DRC and Brazil.
The nature of the fibres in the collection is very diverse and ranges from stem, bark and leaf fibres to husk fibres and seed hairs. Some of them have been processed into bundles and braids, beaten bark, spun thread and twined rope, as well as rough or organza-like fabrics. Even plant pith, pulp and paper are included, next to silkworm silk and mineral tremolite (a form of asbestos).
Not only are familiar plant fibres such as cotton, sisal, ramie, coir, flax and jute present, but also Congo jute, Cuban bast, lacebark, piassava, esparto, fern wool, fibres of linden, sunflower, banana and pineapple, next to different types of paper and bark cloth. More than a hundred genera appear. Dominant families in terms of specimen numbers are Malvaceae (including Tiliaceae), Liliaceae (including Agavaceae), Palmae, Urticaceae, Bombacaceae, Musaceae and Gramineae.
This upgraded collection exhibits an unexpected data diversity and consequently offers multitudinous possibilities for innovative research. One of our mission statements is undoubtedly: safeguarding historical collections for the future.
Little-known Dangers to Natural History Collections: Bynesian Decay and Pyrite Decay
Authors: Salvador Rodrigo , Cavallari Daniel 
Published: June 2018

The deterioration of specimens in natural history collections is a major concern of curators. Collections containing carbonatic specimens (e.g., molluscs, corals, fossils) are of special concern, since calcium carbonate (CaCO3) can deteriorate in the presence of acidic vapours. There are two main types of danger related to these volatile acids, called Bynesian decay and pyrite decay.
In Bynesian decay, acetic and formic acids are released by storage materials (e.g., wood, varnishes, cardboard). If the collection is not under adequate conditions and presents high relative humidity and temperature, the acids react with the specimens’ carbonate, yielding salts and carbon dioxide. The tell-tale “symptom” of an affected specimen is a thin white granular layer of efflorescing salts. Pyrite decay is somewhat similar, but restricted to fossils that contain the mineral pyrite (FeS2). In high relative humidity, pyrite is oxidised, yielding sulfuric acid, which can in turn corrode carbonatic specimens lodged in the same drawer or cabinet.
The corrosion damage caused is irreversible, of course, but the affected specimens might be partially salvaged via specific cleaning and treating procedures. Nevertheless, it is better to just avoid the problem altogether by keeping the collection facilities in adequate conditions. It is hard to come up with a single solution for all the problems any given collection might face, but some measures are reasonably universal. First and foremost, one should strive to maintain a low relative humidity (45–50%) and an appropriate temperature range (16–21ºC). This can be achieved, for instance, with HVAC systems and the use of common desiccant materials such as silica gel. Conditions within the collection should be monitored via the combined use of hygrometer, thermometer, and pH indicators. Furthermore, archival quality materials should be used as often as possible, such as steel drawers and cabinets with electrostatic coating, and acid-free paper and cardboard. Finally, specimens containing reactive pyrite must be kept isolated in archival quality plastic (e.g., mylar) or glass containers.
Syrie 2018 : une tragédie sans fin ?
Authors: Bauchard Denis 
Published: June 2018

La crise syrienne nécessite une solution politique qui tienne compte des réalités et des rapports de force : elle passe par des négociations qui ne peuvent être qu’inclusives, c’est-à-dire qui rassemblent toutes les parties concernées. Mais elle ne pourra se régler sans une approche globale de l’ensemble des problèmes du Moyen-Orient, où s’affrontent ouvertement l’Arabie séoudite et l’Iran et où la menace terroriste demeure forte.
Syrie : la France peut-elle revenir dans le jeu ?
Authors: Pichon Frédéric 
Published: June 2018

Les récentes frappes effectuées en Syrie par la France, conjointement avec les États-Unis et e Royaume-Uni, ont été perçues de différentes façons. Pour le président Macron, il s’agit d’une nette volonté de revenir dans le jeu syrien. Au-delà des aspects techniques, il s’agit de s’interroger sur l’articulation du militaire et du politique pour la France. N’est-il pas trop tard ?
« La grande majorité des Syriens soutient Bachar »
Authors: Pichon Frédéric , Soussan Ayman 
Published: June 2018

Le vice-ministre des Affaires étrangères syrien Ayman Sousan livre sa vision du conflit et les pistes d’une stabilisation politique et économique de la Syrie de demain. Le constat est sévère envers l’Occident : d’après lui, la Syrie a été victime d’un complot et il n’y aura d’autre solution politique – ni fédéralisme, ni dialogue avec des opposants payés par des puissances hostiles – que dans le cadre national.
Enjeux et acteurs de la reconstruction en Syrie
Authors: Pichon Frédéric 
Published: June 2018

Financer la reconstruction du pays par un « plan Marshall » reviendrait à reconnaitre de facto la victoire de quasiment tous ceux qui s’opposent au camp occidental dans la région : Russie, Iran et même Chine. Comme souvent dans ce genre de situations post-guerre, le financement de la reconstruction, évalué à près de 300 milliards de dollars par la Banque mondiale, reste subordonné à des enjeux politiques.
La portabilité des données personnelles et non personnelles, ou comment penser une stratégie européenne de la donnée
Authors: Zolynski Célia , Le Roy Marylou 
Published: June 2018

Près de quarante ans après son entrée en vigueur, les principes fondateurs de loi Informatique et libertés sont toujours pertinents. C’est la raison pour laquelle les législateurs ont fait le choix symbolique de ne pas abroger la loi fondatrice du 6 janvier 1978 mais de la modifier dans le cadre de l’entrée en application du règlement général sur la protection des données (RGPD). La loi relative à la protection des données qui sera prochainement adoptée a pour objet d’assurer la mise en conformité de notre droit national avec les nouvelles exigences européennes et surtout de préciser, par le biais de la cinquantaine de marges de manœuvre du RGPD, certaines dispositions ou d’octroyer plus de garanties que ce que prévoit le droit européen. La nouvelle législation sur la protection des données personnelles, qui nécessite de combiner la lecture du RGPD à la loi Informatique et libertés, repose sur une logique de mise en pouvoir d’agir des individus, notamment par la promotion d’un nouveau droit emblématique : le droit à la portabilité des données. Il s’agit désormais de penser plus généralement ce droit dans le contexte de la construction progressive d’un droit de la donnée.