[Nhcoll-l] entirely online database software for a natural history museum?

Tue Oct 29 03:39:56 EDT 2013

Dear Doug, Nicolas,

with upcoming legislation regulation access to genetic resources, an 
entirely online collection database might be feasible for US collections 
as the US is a non-signatory nation to the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol. 
European collections face legal challenges and should abstain from 
entirely online / cloud based databases for the following reasons:

1. With the exception of specimens collected inside the Europe Union 
(including Switzerland, Norway and Iceland that are as associated 
Schengen countries "members" of an enlarged European Union with a 
harmonised legislation), all non-European collection materials "offered" 
online may be in conflict with different European laws and regulations 
(marketing and possession restrictions of species protected under 
European law and CITES). Offering those samples for loaning would 
(currently) be understood as offering for marketing (especially CITES) 
and could provoke legal action. Even though this is completely stupid 
and the EU spends a lot of money to digitalise collections (GBIF, 
Europeana, etc.), we have no legal certainty for providing this data 
online at the moment.

2. The European Union will implement a quite restrictive Access Benefit 
Legislation on genetic resources next year. Even "genetic resources" 
that are not utilised (e.g. specimens used only as morphological 
reference, which, however, could potentially be extracted at any later 
point) will fall under this regulation. At the moment we receive 
different opinions on materials (DNAs/tissues vs. collection specimens), 
time of application (retroactivity), reporting requirements and the 
planned EU-wide online-register that - as currently drafted - would 
violate laws mentioned above (sic!). Even though Switzerland is not part 
of the European Union, it is leading in developing a sound ABS 
legislation. Until we have legal certainty here, European Collections 
should avoid providing non-European collections materials online.

So yes, collections should provide access to specimen data of in-house 
databases on such data portals as GBIF, we are active to receive the 
required legal certainty, but a clear _*no*_ for entirely online / cloud 
based collection databases (at least for European Collections).

All the best
Dirk

Am 28.10.2013 18:24, schrieb Doug Yanega:
> On 10/25/13 8:24 AM, Derek Sikes wrote:
>> Nicolas,
>>
>> I agree with James in recommending a collections database that is
>>
>> 1) entirely online so you interface it via a web-browser from 
>> anywhere (no software to install, like gmail).
>>
>> 2) low-cost
>>
>> but also would like to emphasize another criterion of importance -
>>
>> 3) serves data to GBIF
>>
>> There are only three that I am aware of that fit these criteria but 
>> there may be more:
>>
>> - Arctos, which I have been using for over a year now, 
>> http://arctos.database.museum/home.cfm
>>
>> - Symbiota http://symbiota.org/tiki/tiki-index.php
>>
>> - The Ohio State University Triplehorn Insect Collection Database - 
>> http://osuc.osu.edu/databasing.html (the developer, Norm Johnson, has 
>> worked with others to mobilize their data onto the web)
>>
> To some degree, the examples Derek points out mix two things; the 
> database itself, plus a data portal. Most folks get their data online 
> by using an in-house database and then linking that database to a data 
> portal. A good example is the American Museum of Natural History, who 
> runs an online database (fitting criteria 1, at least) that serves its 
> data to the Discover Life data portal, which also exports all of its 
> data to GBIF. A number of similar institutions, including my own, use 
> FileMaker as our database; it has remarkable flexibility, very easy to 
> use and customize, works on PC and Mac, and can be remote-accessed. 
> The only point about which I'm not entirely certain is that the server 
> version can in fact be configured so that people who do NOT have 
> FileMaker installed can use the interface. I *believe* this is 
> possible (I'm fairly sure this is how the AMNH system works), but do 
> not myself know how this is accomplished.
>
> Sincerely,
> -- 
> Doug Yanega      Dept. of Entomology       Entomology Research Museum
> Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314     skype: dyanega
> phone: (951) 827-4315 (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
>               http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
>    "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
>          is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82
>
>
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-- 
Dirk Neumann

Tel: 089 / 8107-111
Fax: 089 / 8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

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---------

Dirk Neumann

Tel: +49-89-8107-111
Fax: +49-89-8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

postal address:

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