Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Short Term Outcomes

The US Virtual Herbarium project works through regional consortia and/or networks. It is these entities, and individual herbaria, that sponsor workshops relating to the project. To improve our ability to report on these activities, we need to develop mechanisms for storing information about them as they are offered. The following summarizes the information that we have gathered. More can be found in the regional reports that are on the project's web site (http://www.wiu.edu/USvirtualherbarium/).

" Of 325 herbaria responding to the 2012 survey (see supplementary documentation), 230 are databasing their specimens, 118 are imaging them, and 160 are georeferencing. Of these 325 herbaria, 128 provide searchable web access to their records, either through a local web site (89) or through one or more networks. The resulting information is widely used, particularly that being made available by regional networks.

" In July, Dr. Eric Ribbens (Western Illinois University) joined the Executive as its Web Master and has established a new web site. Its current url is http://www.wiu.edu/USvirtualherbarium/. The old address, http://usvirtualherbarium.org, will be redirected there in the near future. This site will provide links to sites providing access to herbarium records and multiple other resources.

" In August, a logo was acquired for the project (see top of pages). Its use will expand recognition of the project.

" Several additional herbaria have begun digitizing (databasing, imaging, and georeferencing) their specimens and making them web accessible. The numbers are, to some extent, reflected in the survey (see below under Activities). Much of this activity takes place as part of other projects, such as those funded by the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, and state entities but there is also a considerable amount that takes place solely because a herbarium's curator has embraced digitization.

" Some workshops on aspects of digitization have been held in different parts of the country. Because these were sponsored by other entities, we do not have a listing of them.

" Educators are beginning to use network provided resources to enhance their classes, e.g., using the Teaching Checklist feature of Symbiota-based networks to become familiar with individual taxa and the spelling of scientific names.

" Collectors are being encouraged to provide collection information in a manner that permits its easy integration into herbarium databases.

Outputs

" Barkworth, M.E. 2012. Digitization in US Herbaria, 2012. A frequently-updated synopsis of survey data made available at http://herbarium.usu.edu (the project did not have a web site when returns started coming in). A paper based on the results of the survey is in preparation.

Activities

" Derek Lafferty and Ed Gilbert (Arizona State University) are developing a series of games that draw on network resources of the SouthwestEnvironmental Network (SEINet)and help students learn more about plants. See http://plantgames.org/. " Barkworth conducted the second annual survey of digitization in US herbaria. The survey was placed online for four weeks and, because this elicited few responses, paper copies were sent to 575 herbaria and a downloadable copy made available at http://herbarium.usu.edu. The results are now being analyzed.

" The USVH executive welcomed Dr. Ellen Dean as a member. She will fill the role of Secretary. Her prompt preparation of the minutes of the monthly conference calls is helping the executive keep on top of its activities.

" Ribbens, prepared a proposal for a Symposium at Botany 2013, the meeting that helps organize the project's annual meeting. The title is Herbarium Digitization for Research, Teaching, and the Public. It has been submitted to iDigBio with a request for financial support for the speakers. Requests for funding will also be submitted to the American Society of Plants Taxonomists.

" Ribbens is exploring with the Botanical Society of America, sponsors of Botany 2013, the possibility of inviting K-16 students to present a poster featuring on line herbarium records as part of the meeting, possibly with a prize for the most imaginative use of the data and a luncheon with the Symposium speakers for all contributors.

" A logo for the project has been acquired through a competition on 99Designs. It comes in two formats, square and rectangular.

" The regional reports contain information on additional activities.

" Georgia Curators workshop in November 2011 to organize their efforts at digitization of collections.

" SERNEC (Southeastern Consortium) sponsored a georeferencing workshop in January 2012 with 25 participants. Both Geolocate and Biogeomancer developers were there to lead the workshop.

" SERNEC held its annual workshop at the Association of Southeastern Biologists meeting in Athens, GA in April 2012 (35 participants).

" SERNEC Workshop at the University of Virginia in June 2012 to formulate plans for a new NSF ADBC TCN submission (10 participants). Milestones

" Another regional network, that for herbaria in the northeastern US, and a taxonomically oriented network, one for macrofungi, were funded by the National Science Foundation through the ADBC program.

" Over 50% of the herbaria not known to be closed, transferred, or defunct responded to the survey. This is a minor milestone.

Barkworth, M.E. and Z. Murrell. The US Virtual Herbarium Initiative: Building a national resource from the ground up. Zookeys 209: 55-73. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.209.3205

Dolan, R.W., M. E. Moore and J. Stephens. 2011. Documenting effects of urbanization on flora using herbarium records. Journal of Ecology 99:1055-1063.

Dolan, R.W. 2012. Using Herbarium Records to Track Changes in Urban Wild Plants Presentation at Botany 2012.

Dolan, R.W. 2012.Databasing and Digitization of a smaller herbarium at a smaller institution: it CAN be done and funded, too. Presentation at IDigBio workshop, Columbus Ohio 7/12.

Muffoletto, M. 2012. Virtual Herbarium: USU Botanist Leads Effort to Provide Digital Access. Utah State University Press release. http://www.usu.edu/ust/index.cfm?article=51511