5.4 BOTANICAL INFORMATION

Background

The Gardens has made considerable efforts to ensure that the information about its collections is integrated and cross-referenced through computer databases. It has become one the most technically advanced scientific collecting institutions in Australia. It is committed to making this information widely available to the scientific community and is involved in the assessment and implementation of computer and communications technology in the scientific collections field. It encourages links with other botanic gardens and herbaria to facilitate sharing of information.

Gardens staff have been instrumental in developing national standards and protocols for the storage and exchange of botanical information and in gaining acceptance of these standards by State and Territory agencies. They have also been active in international projects and organisations concerned with data exchange standards.

Management prescriptions

Objective

The objective is to participate actively and constructively in projects to develop and implement national and international standards for the storage and exchange of botanical information.

Implementation

The Gardens will continue to support and take an active role in the development of national and international standards for botanical data exchange through involvement in activities and organisations such as the national Herbarium Information Standards and Protocols for Interchange of Data, the Taxonomic Databases Working Group of the International Union of Biological Sciences, and the International Organization for Plant Information World Vascular Plant Checklist project.