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The CETAF Digitisation Working Group Wiki

The Digitisation Working Group is one of the Working Groups within the Consortium of Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF).

Framework

The CETAF Digitisation working group will collaborate and work together to share experiences of digitisation to increase our capacity to carry out digitisation of our collections in the widest sense, including archives, libraries and natural history collections. In addition to acting as a place to share information on digitisation it will also discuss and promote potential projects which CETAF members will be invited to join in funding bids. The working group is set up to run longer than the usual 3 to 5 year projects and will act as a bridge and continuum within CETAF between projects across both the periods between projects and between concurrently running projects.

Aims

• To share information on current digitisation activities.

• To share ideas for future projects.

• To share methods and tools for digitisation.

• To maximise information flow and minimise duplication of work by keeping in contact with other digitisation initiatives outside Europe.

• To act as a long-term link between 3-5 year projects with significant digitisation elements which CETAF members are partners after the projects come to an end.

CETAF Strategy, Actions and Targets

Current status of the Actions and Targets for the Digitisation Working Group and the ISTC.

Actions

Promoting the physical or digital accessibility to collections v. Collaborating with major initiatives on specimen data sharing, data annotation and data-flow

Digitising and databasing collections i. Exploring methods and best practices in data storage and data curation ii. Supporting the development of digitisation policies, techniques and technology iii. Exploring the development of storage and digitisation infrastructures

Targets

• 10% of our 1.5 billion natural history collections are databased, digitised and digitally available and scientific collection visits increase by 10%

• CETAF best practice and common collections policies are implemented in the majority of member institutions

Functioning, communications and meetings

• Regular reporting to CETAF at general meeting.

• Communication and exchange of ideas via email or Skype.

• Hosting of shared documents via the new CETAF website.

• Ad hoc meetings, including at venues were members are meeting for other reasons for example at CETAF general meetings, TDWG meetings, SPNHC.

• The group will convene for as long as it is needed within the framework of CETAF.

Partners

A listing of all partner institutes with a summary of their participation in digitisation projects.

Membership is currently restricted to members of staff from institutes which are members of CETAF.
To join the CETAF Digitisation Working Group, please follow the steps below:

1. Register on the CETAF website (http://cetaf.org/)
   
2. Once registered, you will be able to enter the "My CETAF Bodies" page (http://cetaf.org/groups)
   
3. Click on "Request group membership" for the Digitisation Group
   
4. The request will then be sent for approval
   

Projects

A listing of all digitisation projects with current status and summary and a link to the project webpage if it exists
Individual pages for projects that are active and want to use this wiki

Biodiversity Data Organisations

A listing of national biodiversity data organisations

Working and Interest Groups

A listing of relevant working and interest groups with a list of members who are in the Digitisation Working Group, and a link to the group webpage if it exists

Major Issues in Digitisation

The major issues in Digitisation being identified by the Digitisation Working Group

Digitisation Equipment

A listing of all equipment used in the digitisation process with a summary and a link to the manufacturer’s webpage
Would be useful to include any institutes which have used the equipment.
This has not yet been developed.

Digitisation Workflows

A summary of digitisation workflows in the participating institutes which could be updated as they develop
This could also be an area to work on developing new workflows to allow some discussion before they are implemented and tested

Publications & Documentation

A summary of digitisation publications and documentation

Training Needs & Resources

A summary of training needs and resources

Meetings

A record of Digitisation Working Group meetings with documentation (Agendas, Minutes, Workplans)