The EDIT Director of Collections working group - Background, activities, results -

1. Christiane Quaisser, René Dekker, Michel Guiraud, Rob Huxley, David Mabberley, Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds & Clare Valentine The EDIT Director of Collections working group - Background, activities, results - 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

2. WP3 Infrastructure objectives • Sustainable European infrastructure under a common research mission • Integration of physical (collections, labs, archives) and digital infrastructure • Reduction of the number of links in the chains of network decision making • Common policy on the role of natural history collections in nature conservation, together with other international taxonomic infrastructures 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

3. Directors of Collections (DoC) • Directors or heads of collections of 16 EDIT institutions: BGBM, HNHM, IBPAN, MfN, MIZPAN, MNHN, NBGB, NHML, NHN, NNM, RBGK, RBINS, RMCA, SMNS, UKBH, ZMA • Structures: task group, coordinator • Initiated in June 2008, two full DoC, three task group meetings • Agreed policies & strategies • Efficiency, cooperation with regard to collection preservation and access • Implementation of SYNTHESYS results 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

4. Current and future activities • Agreed scientific loan policy includingmolecular collections and destructive sampling • “Clearing house” for orphaned collections • Comparison of collection management organisational structures • Opportunities for and scope of a EU collection managers association • Priorities and strategies for specimen digitisation • Set up a helpdesk for raising cm standards with SYNTHESYS NA2 • Collections security, e.g. theft • Continuation of DoC after EDIT 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

5. Optimal structures for CM? Background: depending on history, politics, size of institution, staff development & needs, etc NH museums organise their staff in many ways Researcher with parts Fulltime collection of work devoted to CM manager affects Best practice in CM Staff development Communication intern CM & to user 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

6. Optimal structures for CM? Aim: series of model structures with advantages and disadvantages to encourage institutions to adopt structures that help the long-term preservation of and access to collections How: standard interviews with key staff from a selection of institutions of varying sizes, status and focus Report:published in 2010 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

7. EU collection managers forum? • Situation: A) specialist groups, B) regional to national collection management societies • Aim: increase quality and efficiency of collection management by sharing knowledge and joining forces across disciplines and borders • Structure: (Independent) forum integrating EU NH collection managers? • How: questionnaire on experiences, general interest,language barrier, elements ofstructure & function, commitment 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

8. Questionnaire – first results • 82 individual replies10 countries, 28 institutions • 80 yes / 2 no58 collection management forum49 taxonomic forum • Language barrier if in English:74 no / 8 yes (French) • Functions: list server, website, meetings, on-line newsletter • Membership fee: individual 20 – 40 Euro, institutional membership • Affiliation: SPNHC 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

9. Agreed loan policy - background • EDIT objective: develop commonality of policy within an integrated taxonomic facility • Loans: facilitate access, add value to collections • Risks: damage & loss, monopolising of material • Aims of common loan policy:- prevent loss & damage- guarantee traceability of specimens- ensure access of material to users- ensure compatible quality standards and rules in all institutions 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

10. Current status Initial document circulated Document revised following further discussions at DoC core group meeting in Carvoeiro on 15th Dec. 2009 Conclusion: document will be re-organised as follows- main principles governing loans- standards for management of loans- new: model policy (guidelines) to assist institutions in drawing up their own institutional policies Ask the BoD to agreein principle to the development of the document as described at this meeting 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

11. Questions? Thank you for your attention! Christiane Quaisser, Museum fuer Naturkunde Berlin, christiane.quaisser@mfn-berlin.de René Dekker, Naturalis Leiden, dekker@naturalis.nl Michel Guiraud, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, mguiraud@mnhn.fr Rob Huxley, Jackie Mackenzie-Dodds & Clare Valentine,The Natural History Museum, r.huxley@nhm.ac.uk, j.mackenzie-dodds@nhm.ac.uk, c.valentine@nhm.ac.uk David Mabberley, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, D.Mabberley@kew.org 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

12. Products Managing EDIT Resources Infrastructure basis Application to conservation Coordinating research Human resources Training and public awareness Methods Spreading Internet platformfor cybertaxonomy Web-basedtaxonomy EDIT project overview 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

13. Models of CM structures Entomology Department Full integration Senior Researcher Researcher Researcher Coleoptera Diptera Junior /entry level researcher/technician 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

14. Models of CM structures Collection – Research - Separation Collections Department Research Department Museum Head of Collections Museum Head of Research Head of Botany Head of Entomology Senior Researcher Senior Researcher Collection managers Junior researchers 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

15. Agreedloanpolicy - timeline 06/2008 09/2008 01/2009 07/2009 12/2009 02/2010 • 1stDoC workshop: issue • Summary of policy documents of 13 institutions • Proposal: items and explanations • Core group (NNM, MNHN, NHM) • 2ndDoC workshop: presentation & discussion of revised items • Specified proposal • Draft document to be presented to the EDIT BoD • Finaldocument to be signed by directors 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

16. Agreed loan policy – components • All specimens potentiallyavailable for loan, exception: types, extinct species and historical specimens, restrictiononnumber of specimens • Approved borrowers, recognized institution, at private addresses only in exceptional cases, no forwarding to 3rd parties without approval • Central institutional/departmental contact point for all loans within an institution: approval and retrieval • Limited duration of loans: initially 12 months, extension twice on application, max. 3 years • No changes allowed, annotations in accompanying letter or slip 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

17. Agreed loan policy - components • No sampling without permission • Specified storage and disinfection conditions, appropriate transport, confirmation on receipt and return • Appropriate acknowledgments and feedback, blacklist as an option • Molecular collections: - Molecular Advisory Panel to advise and confirm feasibility of success, assess applications and review exceptions- Compatibility check of storage conditions- Return of all remaining samples, products on request- Specific rules for IPR e.g. what concerns samples and products 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009

18. DoC – next steps Finalizingcurrentactivities New activities(within the framework of WP3.1 objectives) • Liaising with science policy taskgroups to specify research visions and refine requirements for collections • Reach commitment of the DoC to work according to the same standards, and to implement the results of SYNTHESYS • Business plan for DoC 6th EDIT BoD meeting, Carvoeiro, 17th December 2009