Non-NU Email
Every "view" of a living collection is temporary. Specimens, species lists, databases, etc. change all the time and have to be updated from time to time to reflect those changes. 

And every view of a collection has costs and benefits. I would love to have all of my drawers imaged. In a few seconds anyone could evaluate the state of Family X in the collection. About how many specimens of each species, about how many specimens that are unidentified, etc. Is there a large variety in the unIDed material, or is it all the same thing? Is it worth requesting a loan, is it worth visiting? 

I looked through North Carolina's unsorted gigapan beetles and found specific specimens I wanted to borrow for research. 

Recently, a researcher from New Zealand was looking through photos of our residues and found specimens of a rarely collected bug he was doing research on. 

I think an amazing public display would be a big screen with either a slide show of full drawers, or a way for people to navigate from drawer to drawer. Image if people could scroll through your butterflies. That might peak some interest in a kid getting started. 

If you work on a lot of different projects its easier to see a lot of potential. 

I see it as a huge advantage. 

Cheers, 

Mike



On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 12:39 PM Brower, Andrew V - APHIS <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hi all,

 

I have always wondered why people like to digitize drawers.  If your collection is growing, to keep the images up to date with the drawer contents, you need to continually take new images, and it just seems like an extra layer of work.  What are the advantages of this practice?

 

Andy

 

 

Andrew Brower, Ph.D.

Assistant Director, National Identification Services (NIS)

USDA APHIS PPQ Plant Health Programs

4700 River Rd., Unit 52

Riverdale, MD 20737

Office phone:  (301) 851-2243

Mobile phone: (240) 315-4408

 

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From: Entomological Collections Network Listserve <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Mike Ferro
Sent: Friday, May 7, 2021 12:31 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [External Email]Re: Low Budget - whole drawer digitization for curation purposes

 

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Non-NU Email

Microsoft Image Composite Editor really looks like it should work. Multiple photos of portions of each drawer could be stitched together to produce one high-res image. Apparently it even works based on video, so perhaps a sweep across a drawer would be enough. 

 

 

But I think you would have to spend a day or two working out the kinks. 

 

Cheers, and good luck, 

 

Mike

 

 

 

On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 12:19 PM Megan R. King <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Hello all,

I am working on the entomological museum at Rutgers University, and I am looking for some suggestions for whole drawer digitization.

We currently are facing issues with funding, which we hope to improve soon, so this is what we're working with at the moment:

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III camera
EOS Utility 2 Program
Sigma lens - 50mm 1:2:8 DG Macro
Copy Stand - Polaroid Mp.4 Land Camera
2 low budget lights (https://www.amazon.com/Dimmable-Dimming-Eye-care-Sensitive-Daylight/dp/B00MHLIGCY/ref=asc_df_B00MHLIGCY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=221784482639&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=396783775486167329&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004031&hvtargid=pla-379393475651&psc=1)

I am looking for suggestions on settings, if anyone else has used this type of set up or a similar one. I am running this program on a 2011 MacBook Pro, incase that information is relevant.

We aren't expecting great high quality images with this setup, just enough to be able to go through the collection, see what we have, re-organize and curate.

You can email me at [log in to unmask] or reply to this message, either way is great! All suggestions welcome, and thanks in advance!


 

--

Michael L. Ferro
Collection Manager, Clemson University Arthropod Collection (CUAC)
Dept. of Plant and Environmental Sciences
277 Poole Agricultural Center
Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0310

OFFICE: 307 Long Hall

Subject Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin; Insecta Mundi





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--
Michael L. Ferro
Collection Manager, Clemson University Arthropod Collection (CUAC)
Dept. of Plant and Environmental Sciences
277 Poole Agricultural Center
Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0310
OFFICE: 307 Long Hall
Subject Editor: The Coleopterists Bulletin; Insecta Mundi