General Points from Opening Large Group Discussion

Determine whether focus should be on large, medium, or small collections.

Develop mobile imaging units as a useful tool for servicing instituional needs for imaging.

Any images are better than no images. Scanners and low-end cameras should be a consideration. Lack of being able to afford high-end equipment should not be a limiting factor.

Scanners may work well for small collections.

Time available. May be better putting resources into equipment. Work study student time can expand technician time allowing more resources for equipment.

Scanner technology is easier to use for non-technicians; e.g. students.

Use off-site scanning/imaging tools for more difficult-to-image specimens; e.g. large, bulky specimens.

File formant and naming standards.

Sharing information on duplicates; challenge is tracking duplicates and coordinating efforts. How to be sure all duplicates get the same annotation?

Handling updated annotations and varying determinations. How many annotations to apply to a specimen over time?

Stage projects to take advantage of required repetitive tasks. Do as much as possible with a single specimen as it is processed. Use image for data entry, etc. rather than repeatedly pulling images from cabinets.

More general discussion (after round 2 group discussions):

Stinger is willing to serve as a link and facilitator between workshop activities and NSF.

Stinger is also willing to facilitate the use of PLANTS as part of ecoregion-wide projects.

Include links to FNA descriptions and distribution data.

Web Services (cap W, cap S) means that a program queries the database rather than a human querying the database. Faster, more efficient, more far-reaching methods for searching the web and multiple databases.

-- GilNelson - 15 Oct 2005
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