Science policy USA: Scientific collections
The White House Office of Science & Technology Policy recently issued a new policy on the management of scientific collections, accompanied by a White House blog.
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Science Policy UK: Scientific Infrastructure Inquiry reports
The UK House of Lords Committee on Science and Technology has published the report of its inquiry into Scientific Infrastructure (with evidence). Recommends better long term planning; improved arrangements on operational costs; and more effective engagement with the EU on infrastructures, among other things.
Science and collections: citations and specimens
An interesting post on Rod Page's iPhylo blog on possibilities for measuring collections impact through citation in publications. Refers also to correspondence in Nature from Kevin Winker and Jack Withrow and the methods used to construct a Google Scholar profile for the University of Alaska Bird collection.
Biodiversity policy: GBIF guidance on national species checklists
GBIF (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility) has issued Best practice guide for compiling, maintaining, disseminating national species checklists - including the use of herbaria and museum collections.
Biodiversity collections: Global Genome Biodiversity Network
Originating from the Smithsonian Institution NMNH, the Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) is in early stages, but aiming to create a network of biodiversity biobanks around the world working within CBD requirements. The NMNH focus is the Global Genome Initiative.
Science and museums policy: Collections networking organisations
Following on from the last post, a random list of natural history and natural science collections networking organisations:
Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) - primarily USA
Society for the Preservation of Natural History (SPNHC) - primarily USA, but some UK/European
International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER): international
The Natural Sciences Collections Association (NatSCA): UK
Scientific Collections International (SciColl): international, arising from OECD membership
Museum Policy USA: NSCA collections value advocacy
The US Natural Science Collections Alliance (NSCA) has published various case study/advocacy materials on the value and use of natural history collections.
Museum policy UK: standards for collections
BSI has released a new document on collections standards to take account of energy use and carbon impacts: PAS 198:2012- Specification for managing environmental conditions for cultural collections. Origins with the Collections Trust and background from the Chief Executive of the Collections Trust, Nick Poole, on his blog.
Biodiversity information: 2011 GBIF report published
The 2011 GBIF report is published, with an overview of progress over the past decade. One area where progress has been less than hoped is digitisaion of the larger collections, although the various innovative approaches are noted.
Collections information: building vertebrate databases in the cloud - Vertnet
News release from UC Berkeley on the new Vertnet - intended to integrate existing unsupported vertebrate database initiatives (HerpNet, MaNIS, ORNIS and FishNET) and address difficulties with scaling and sustainability in part through cloud computing. Primarily US collections, but some other large non-US instiitutions have some collections involved. Will integrate with other initiatives such as EoL and GBIF as well to deliver information.