from spider webs to the world wide web

http://collections.nhm.org

Natural History Museumof Los Angeles County

From Spider Webs to the World Wide Web

Darolyn Striley and Neftali CamachoMarine Biodiversity Processing Center

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County



Over 5.5 Million Specimens



Over 600,000 Specimens



The MBPC Web

Echinoderms

MBPC

Crustacea

Mollusks

Polychaetes

Other Departments



Problems

What collections were we responsible for?

Gathering data

No hub to connect all the departments

Spatially challenged

Ever-changing earthquake and fire regulations

Fluidity of staff



Our Solution?



Three Key Pages

List Page

Submission Page

Retrieval Page



Collection Data Fields

• Significance• Background• Collection Location

and Dates• Taxonomic Contents• Documentation• Description of

Collection• Collection Inventory

• Collection Images• Specimen Condition• Container Condition• Label Condition• Label Content• Level of Taxonomic

Identification



Collection at Friday Harbor

Stored at NHMLAC

Being Processed

Done!



Three Key Pages

List Page

Submission Page

Retrieval Page



Submission Data Fields

• Submitter's Name• Submitter’s Address• Submitter’s Email• Submitter’s Phone

Number• Name of Collection• Significance• Background

• Collection Location and Dates

• Taxonomic Contents• Documentation• Description of

Collection• Collection Inventory



Three Key Pages

List Page

Submission Page

Retrieval Page



The MBPC Web

Echinoderms

MBPC

Crustacea

Mollusks

Polychaetes

Other Departments

Administration

Donors

Volunteers

Program Officers

from spider webs to the world wide web

Documents