[NHCOLL-L:413] MVZ public data access

[Barbara R. Stein]

The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is pleased to announce four changes to its
public query interface that enhance access to its collections' data.
Please forgive cross postings.

1.  Our query interface has been moved to a new, faster server.  Please
reset your bookmarks to:  http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/mvz/    Data at this
site are refreshed weekly.  Currently, that change takes place Saturday
evenings.  

2.  It is now possible to query by collector's name and to view the
resulting data in a tabular matrix as well as in list form.

3.  Scanned images of photographs and field notebook pages from the
Museum's archival collections can now be accessed at the URL listed above.
Only a few hundred images have been digitized thus far and most relate to
field work in Yosemite National Park conducted between 1914 and 1924.
However, this project is ongoing.  Read "About the MVZ Image Catalogue" on
the Image Query page for details.

4.  The Museum's amphibian database is now linked to AmphibiaWeb
(www.amphibiaweb.com), a public interface providing access to information
on all aspects of amphibian biology.  The site presents a general overview
of the declining amphibian problem, with links to species pages that offer
current natural history data, taxonomic histories, photographs, and
distribution maps for species worldwide.  Species accounts are being added
regularly, with plans to eventually include a page for every amphibian
species.  The site, sponsored by several herpetological and conservation
organizations, including IBOY (International Biodiversity Observation
Year), is maintained at U.C. Berkeley.  Questions about AmphibiaWeb should
be addressed to David B. Wake at: wakelab at uclink.berkeley.edu

Lastly, our thanks, once again, to the U.C. Berkeley Digital Library
Project for hosting these sites and for implementing these public access
interfaces on our behalf.  

Barbara Stein 
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Barbara R. Stein, Ph.D.
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology           phone: 510-642-3567
University of California                        fax: 510-643-8238
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building       bstein at socrates.berkeley.edu          
Berkeley, CA  94720  USA