Transcript EMu in the NHM

EMu in the NHM:
A personal perspective
Darrell J. Siebert
Dept. of Zoology
Origin in mid 1990s
• A need for a Museum wide database
solution
– Management of collections
– Provision of collections information in a digital
age
– Cost control
– Data security
(Agreement and implementation only reluctant)
Pilot Project (2002 – 2003)
• Test migration of a dataset of 135,000
records
• Period of use – would users be
comfortable with EMu?
Answers: “Yes” – but this view was
somewhat naïve!
3 Year Project to install EMu at
NHM
• Initially conceived as a 5 year project – Dir.
of Sci. said he would fund a modular 3
year project
– 5 6 months projects to install in Sci.
depts.:Mineralogy; Entomology;
Palaeontology; Zoology; and Botany
– 1 6 months project to bind it altogether (web
design, etc.) at the end
The NHM MOA Programme
• Hired a Project Manager (from outside)
• Hired a database professional (1/2 time on
the project
• Formed a Programme Committee
Cultural Change
• Engaged a course in Managing Cultural
Change
– Getting us to work together
– Getting us to communicate with each other
Not entirely successful -- the people who
decided they didn’t need this training are the
ones who needed it the most (and still do)!
My Role: a Programme Resource
• Experience in installation and use of EMu
– Entomology
– Palaeontology
Helped to move to EMu rather than just
re-create extant systems in EMu
• Attempts to improve ‘support’ modules of
EMu
– Taxonomy --- Entom, Palaeo, Zool
– Parties
– Sites --- Botany has lead