Buffalo Society Of Natural Sciences

THE BUFFALO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE WILL GAIN INTELLECTUAL AND PHYSICAL CONTROL OVER ITS FLUID-PRESERVED ICHTHYOLOGICAL COLLECTION THAT DOCUMENTS THE POPULATION OF FRESHWATER FISHES IN REGIONAL WATERWAYS. THE MUSEUM WILL HIRE A COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT TO WORK WITH STUDENT INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS TO CREATE A COHESIVE CATALOG AS WELL AS REHOUSE, PHOTOGRAPH, AND DIGITIZE THE COLLECTION. STAFF WILL ALSO CREATE AND INSTALL PANELS AT FRESHWATER CONSERVATION AREAS IN WESTERN NEW YORK TO PROMOTE EDUCATION ABOUT FRESHWATER FISH AT LOCAL WATERWAYS. AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECT, STAFF WILL MAKE THE NEWLY COMPLETED CATALOG OF THE COLLECTION PUBLICLY AVAILABLE THROUGH OPEN-ACCESS COLLECTION PORTALS FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSSEL MEMORY: REMEMBERING BUFFALO?S CONCHOLOGICAL LEGACY THROUGH THE DIGITIZATION OF THE UNIONOIDA?A PROJECT CARRIED OUT BY THE BUFFALO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE-AIMS TO GAIN INTELLECTUAL AND PHYSICAL CONTROL OVER A FRESHWATER MUSSEL COLLECTION WHILE INCREASING THE CURRENT CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF THIS HISTORIC MATERIAL. THE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND PROMOTE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY THROUGH RE-CURATION, IMAGING, AND DATABASING. TO ENCOURAGE WIDESPREAD ACCESS, THE MUSEUM WILL BROADLY DISTRIBUTE THE NEW DIGITAL CATALOG THROUGH OPEN-ACCESS DATA REPOSITORIES. AT THE SAME TIME, THE MUSEUM WILL ENCOURAGE GREATER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BY ENHANCING THE FRESHWATER MUSSEL EXHIBIT IN THE MUSEUM?S ?RETHINK EXTINCT? SCIENCE STUDIO.

HIDDEN VIEWS: SALVAGING HISTORIC IMAGES AT THE BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES [THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DIGITIZE ALMOST 2000 HISTORICAL NITRATE NEGATIVES, SECURING THEIR CONTENT AND TRANSFORMING A CURRENTLY UNSTABLE AND INACCESSIBLE COLLECTION OF IMAGES INTO AN AVAILABLE RESOURCE FOR RESEARCH, PUBLICATION, EXHIBITION, AND PROGRAMMING. THE COLLECTION DOCUMENTS THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF SIGNIFICANT SUBJECT MATTER INCLUDING THE SOCIETY?S HISTORY, THE NATURAL HISTORY, PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT OF COLLECTION, RESEARCH, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION IN WESTERN NEW YORK, AND THE HISTORY OF GENERAL SCIENCE, NATURAL LIFE, AND CULTURE. WE INTEND TO INCREASE INTELLECTUAL CONTROL OF THESE IMAGES, CREATE ACCESSIBILITY, AND PROMOTE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY BY DISTRIBUTING CONTENT THROUGH AN OPEN ACCESS DATA REPOSITORY, NYHERITAGE.ORG. DIGITIZATION OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE THE CONTENT OF THESE AT-RISK NEGATIVES, ESTABLISH ACCESSIBILITY, AND RESTORE THEIR USEFULNESS AS INFORMATION RESOURCES VALUABLE TO THE HUMANITIES FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.]