Digitization PEN: Digitizing the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History's Historic Invertebrate Collections through the InvertNet TCN

爱荷华州大学自然历史博物馆获得了一个奖项，通过数字化博物馆动物学研究收藏的大约28,000个昆虫和小龙虾标本，将其与现有的InvertNet专题收藏网络连接起来。捕获2D和3D图像并将不可替代的数据数字化将确保数据的长期保存，并使科学家，教育工作者，学生和公众可以在线访问收集信息。博物馆藏品对现代生物学研究至关重要，历史标本在研究环境和土地利用变化的影响方面尤为必要。 然而，这些标本的脆弱性和收藏的分散位置可能使它们在研究中的使用变得困难和低效。 图像和数据的数字化使标本信息更加可见和可访问，增加了新研究和公众理解的潜力。与数字化相一致，博物馆将通过为中西部无脊椎动物主题的教育工作者创建一个“旅行箱”，更新现有的节肢动物展览，包括InvertNet项目的内容，并开发一个可供学校、自然中心、博物馆和该地区其他团体借用的巡回展览。该奖项是作为国家资源的一部分，通过推进生物收藏品数字化计划的生物收藏品的数字化，从这个奖项产生的所有数据将通过国家资源（iDigBio.org）提供。

An award is made to the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History to connect it to the existing InvertNet Thematic Collections Network by digitizing approximately 28,000 insect and crayfish specimens from the museum's zoological research collections. Capturing 2D and 3D images and digitizing irreplaceable data will ensure long-term data preservation and make collection information accessible online to scientists, educators, students, and the public. Museum collections are crucial to modern biological research, and historic specimens are especially necessary in studying the effects of environmental and land use change. However, the fragility of these specimens and the scattered location of collections can make using them in research difficult and inefficient. Digitizing images and data makes specimen information more visible and accessible, increasing the potential for new research and public understanding.In concert with digitization, the museum will integrate public education with InvertNet research by creating a "traveling trunk" for educators on the theme of invertebrates in the Midwest, updating an existing exhibit on arthropods to include content from the InvertNet project, and developing a traveling exhibit that can be borrowed by schools, nature centers, museums, and other groups in the region. This award is made as part of the National Resource for Digitization of Biological Collections through the Advancing Digitization of Biological Collections program and all data resulting from this award will be available through the national resource (iDigBio.org).