Support for Upgrade of the Ichthyology Database of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

费城自然科学院的鱼类学收藏包含大约150万个标本，代表超过10,000个物种，以及12,000个模式标本。该馆藏跻身西半球十大鱼类馆藏之列，并且是第一个使用MUSE（美国国家科学基金会支持的微型计算机数据库程序）将其全部馆藏计算机化的馆藏。负责鱼类收集的馆长斯科特·谢弗博士建议验证从早期（1954年以前）目录分类账中输入的数据记录。这些记录没有包括许多重要的信息（地点描述、物种鉴定、标本测量），这些信息可以在标本本身的标签上找到。Schaefer博士还建议标准化地方记录中的地理地名，并尽可能确定地方的纬度和经度。这些对地方记录的改进将允许地理信息系统（GIS）和其他用于生物地理研究的制图软件直接使用数据库记录。一个调制解调器将被添加到收集的计算机网络，允许远程拨号查询数据库。提出的改进将大大增加这一重要收藏的研究影响。事实证明，自然历史藏品的计算机化有利于藏品管理和研究，费城自然科学院的鱼类学藏品继续在这一领域显示出远见和领导地位。

The Ichthyological Collection in the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences contains approximately 1.5 million specimens representing more than 10,000 species, as well as 12,000 type specimens. The collection ranks among the ten largest fish collections in the western hemisphere, and was the first to computerize its entire holdings with MUSE, an NSF-supported database program for microcomputers. Dr. Scott Schaefer, Curator in charge of the fish collection, proposes to validate the data records entered from early (pre-1954) catalog ledgers. These records fail to include many important pieces of information (locality descriptions, species identifications, specimen measurements) that are available on the labels attached to the specimens themselves. Dr. Schaefer also proposes to standardize the geographic place names in locality records, and to determine latitudes and longitudes of localities wherever possible. These improvements to the locality records will allow the database records to be used directly by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other mapping software for biogeographic research. A modem will be added to the Collection's computer network, allowing remote dial-in for querying the database. The proposed improvements will add significantly to the research impact of this important collection. Computerization of natural history collections is proving beneficial to collection management and to research, and the Ichthyology Collection in the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia continues to show vision and leadership in this area.