professional development

This free, online course aims to empower participants with the knowledge and skills to design and implement a biodiversity collections digitization project that successfully engages the public in online settings.  

This course is targeted at those already associated with a biodiversity collection, such as collections managers, curators, student technicians, administrators, or others. The course will be relevant to a diversity of collection types.  Participants do not need prior knowledge of biodiversity informatics or specialized software. 

The aim of this 12-hour Digitization Academy course is to empower participants with the knowledge and skills to (1) identify and describe relevant facets of biodiversity specimens that can be captured and shared with common digital imaging modalities, (2) identify sources of digital imaging protocols and best practices, (3) identify and prioritize major differences among digital image file formats, hardware, and software options, (4) explain the workings of a digital SLR or mirrorless camera/lens, camera control software, and image processing software, (5) archive and share digital images,

This 2-hour Digitization Academy course introduces biodiversity specimen collectors, curators, and other biodiversity researchers to emerging opportunities in immersive media, including augmented, mixed, and virtual reality.  We will introduce the types of immersive media, best-in-class examples of their utility, example hardware and software tools used to produce the experiences, and potential new directions in the space for the biodiversity collections community.  The course is open to everyone from the biodiversity research and adjacent communities from around the world.  Registration wi