Envisioning a Biological Collections Action Center: NYBG

Workshops

NYBG: March 2023

When: March 23-24, 2023
Where: New York Botanical Garden
Organizers: John Bates, Field Museum of Natural History; Carol Butler, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian; Matt Borths, Duke Lemur Center; Joe Cook, Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico; Libby Ellwood, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio; Jillian Goodwin, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio; David Jennings, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio; Gil Nelson, Natural Science Collections Alliance, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio; Jyotsna Pandey, American Institute of Biological Sciences, Natural Science Collections Alliance; Emily Sessa, New York Botanical Garden; Pam Soltis, Florida Museum of Natural History, iDigBio, UF Biodiversity Institute; Breda Zimkus, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Biological Collections Network
Expected number of participants: 30 - 40

Logistic information

Airport:
Airport transportation:
Workshop hotel:
Transportation from hotel to venue: Uber, Lyft, or taxi from hotel at 3203 Quebec Street to museum at 2001 Colorado Blvd (3.1 miles; ~10 minutes). Entrance for participants will be through the security subpost (small door to left of Main Exit). Security personnel will notify staff of arrival. Staff will come to subpost to usher participants to meeting room. Once inside museum, participants will have full access to public areas of the museum.
Workshop venue: Denver Museum of Nature & Science (2001 Colorado Blvd) Community Room on 3rd floor of museum.
Wifi networks: Once on-site, workshop participants can log into the DMNS guest network for internet access.
Meals: Breakfast, break refreshments, and lunch will be catered on both workshop days. Dinner is not provided, but you will be reimbursed for meals not provided.
Invited participant support: Hotel cost covered, travel, and per diem expenses reimbursed.

• Overview Map
• Map of Area Restaurants

Agenda

	Day 1: Thursday, March 23
8:30–9:00 AM	Breakfast
9:00–9:30 AM	Opening (Nelson) a. Workshop Objectives (Sessa) b. Participants
9:30–10:30 AM	NASEM panel: Action Center Q&A/Discussion based on the previous webinars and recordings. Speakers: Pam Soltis (Moderator); Andy Bentley; Joe Cook; Scott Edwards; Talia Karim; Shirley Pomponi; Barbara Thiers
10:30 - 10:45 AM	Break 1
10:45 - 11:40 PM	NASEM panel continued: Action Center Q&A/Discussion based on the previous webinars and recordings. Speakers: Pam Soltis (Moderator); Andy Bentley; Joe Cook; Scott Edwards; Talia Karim; Shirley Pomponi; Barbara Thiers
12:15–1:15 PM	Open discussion leading into lunch. Lunch break (on-site)
1:15–2:00 PM	Field collection to repository ––Part II a. Specimen records, from museum to aggregator (Why? How?). b. Data management software (eMu, Symbiota, Arctos) Discussion Leaders: N. Neu-Yagle/T. Karim
2:00–2:45 PM	Online resources to support specimen records (iDigBio, Symbiota, GBIF) Discussion Leader: T. Karim
2:45–3:15 PM	Break 2: Tour of Collections & Collections Workshop (Sub-Level B2), Dave Krause, K. MacKenzie, and Pat O’Connor.
3:15–3:45 PM	A Case Study: The Mahajanga Basin Project and Symbiota Discussion Leaders: D. Krause, L. Wagner, K. Mackenzie
3:45–4:15 PM	Open Discussion Facilitators: P. O’Connor, D. Krause
4:15–5:00 PM	Museum Exhibition Access
5:00–6:30 PM	Pre-dinner Break
7:00	Dinner: On Your Own Reservations have been made at: Phoenician Kabob, 5709 E COLFAX AVE., DENVER, CO 720-477-0046

	Day 2: Thursday November 17
8:30–9:00 AM	Breakfast—DMNS
	Extending Specimens
9:00–9:30 AM	Expanding the Specimen Record a. Beyond traditional records (e.g., incorporating 4D [geography, stratigraphy, other paleo environmental data] data; 3D data management and dissemination. Discussion Leaders: D. Blackburn/ P. O’Connor
9:30–10:20 AM	Keeping things connected from field to publication and beyond to access/utilization by others. a. Persistent Identifiers (extended specimen network) in 21st Century natural history collections — ensuring that things that should stay connected do stay connected. Discussion Leader: M. Mabry
	Dissemination and Access
10:20–10:50 AM	Getting information out to others (researchers, educators, public) a. Role of the research teams. b. Role of the educator teams. c. Role of the museums. Discussion Leader: D. Blackburn
10:50–11:30 AM	Break 3: Archives Department (Sub-level B1), with Laura Uglean-Jackson (DMNS).
11:30 AM–12:15 PM	3D Data: MorphoSource a. Hosting/dissemination 3D data—Basics. b. Team/Project/Organization Levels of Organization in Morphosource. Discussion Leaders: D. Boyer, J. Winchester
12:15–1:15 PM	Open discussion leading into lunch. Lunch Break (on-site)
	Skills Development I
1:15–2:00 PM	Current/Future Training Efforts a. Field Training. b. Collections Training. c. Training across the internet. Barriers (e.g., technical) and opportunities (shared resources and specimen record platforms). d. Formal programs (university degrees & certificates, museum certificates). e. Professional Development opportunities. Discussion Leaders: P. O’Connor, N. J. Stevens, D. Krause
	Supporting Efforts
2:00–2:45 PM	Collections without Borders. a. Working across boundaries (national, cultural, economic). Discussion Leaders: H. Randrianaly, S. el-Sayed
2:45–3:15 PM	Break 4: Digital Research Lab, 3rd Floor, Lindsay Dougan (DMNS)
3:15–3:45 PM	What, How, and Who to fund these efforts? a. Institutional, Governmental, Private (Corporate, Individual). b. Perspectives from funding agencies Ian Miller—National Geographic Society. Discussion Leaders: D. Krause, I. Miller
3:45–4:15 PM	The Global Future of Collections: Co-Creating Next Steps a. Collections management in a global context—and shared responsibilities among research teams, institutions, and governments. Summary of workshop and overview of next steps (near-term vs. long term). Facilitators: P. O’Connor, D. Krause, N. J. Stevens, D. Blackburn
4:15–5:00 PM	Museum Exhibition - self-guided tours to areas if interest
5:00–6:30 PM	Pre-dinner Break
7:00	Dinner: On Your Own Location TBD