Databasing of the Bird & Mammal Collections at Illinois State University

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This project will develop the first computerized database of the 7,600 specimens of birds and mammals in the John Wesley Powell-Dale Birkenholz Natural History Collections at Illinois State University. This includes scientific study skins, skeletons, taxidermy mounts, frozen tissues, and stomach contents. Most specimens are from Illinois dating from 1867 to the present; the rest are from other states and countries. A collections website for online data access will be developed on the School of Biological Sciences website (www.bio.illinoisstate.edu). The one-year project creates three jobs: Technical Associate, Graduate Student Curatorial Assistant, and Undergraduate Student Curatorial Assistant.The principal goal is to make these collections easily accessible via the Internet for local, national, and international research and teaching activities. The collections database also will contribute valuable biological and geographic data on the diversity, ecology, and distribution of birds and mammals to online global data portals, including the Ornithology Information System and the Mammal Network Information System. The project will serve as a model for small but significant university collections to integrate their specimen records with those of major museum collections worldwide. This will greatly expand the opportunities for specimen-based research and teaching, including conservation activities by nongovernmental and governmental organizations.