Research
Project Goals
One of the primary objectives of the Science Division at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) is to make our collections and research accessible to both the scientific community and the general public. With over 4.3 million objects amassed over the museum's 120 year history and scores of dedicated scientists producing high quality research, providing access is no small feat. While we welcome and encourage in-person visitation of our museum, the ability to provide offsite access through online formats has greatly expanded the community we are able to serve.
The goal of this project is to take that first step towards greater accessibility - getting the information we have into an electronic format. While a great deal of information is contained in our electronic databases, a significant amount remains hidden in hand-written catalog ledgers, field notes, specimen tags and other physical records. To launch this project, we will begin with a focus on the catalog ledgers which were created as the official record-keeping documents for maintaining specimen and object data. As the project grows, we will begin to introduce additional data sources, like field notes and photographs, to further capture the rich history of science at our institution.
Ledger Transcription
Since the advent computer technology, numerous efforts have been made to digitize our catalog records. Limitations in the capacity of older databases to handle diverse types of data structure had prevented a complete transcription of the information in these paper records. Today's databases are much more flexible and able to adapt to the unique forms of data we have to work with. Utilizing the amazing capabilities of the Zooniverse platform, and those of dedicated volunteers willing to slog through these records, we aim to finally capture all of the vital information contained in these records in an electronic format to facilitate distribution and use.