How to prepare your collection for imaging
Preparing for digitization is an important step in the digitization workflow. We recommend taking the following steps:
Other considerations to make (from the seminal paper "Five task clusters that enable efficient and effective digitization of biological collections"):
- With help from Jenn, Katie, Jason, and Ed, upload existing specimen records to the CCH2 data portal
- Familiarize yourself with data management and curation on the CCH2 portal using our Data portal resources and/or by attending webinars.
- Purchase barcodes.
- Acquire imaging station equipment.
- Determine institutional image storage solution. Where will you store your raw image files? You will need about 5 terabytes of data for every 100,000 specimens.
- Recruit/hire student workers, volunteers, and/or technicians.
- Identify and denote in-scope specimens (or cabinets). The list of taxa to be digitized in this grant can be found in our document library.
- Determine how you will stage and track the imaging process. For example, you can put imaging logs on the outside of your herbarium cabinets.
Other considerations to make (from the seminal paper "Five task clusters that enable efficient and effective digitization of biological collections"):
- treat specimens for pests,
- reorganize the contents of cabinets, cases, trays, and containers, especially when these are the units of digitization,
- vet type specimens
