Virtual herbarium

Herbarium Pomeranicum

WHAT IS

Digitization

Digitization, i.e. making digital copies of natural science collections, facilitates the management, inventory and use of scientific resources gathered in Herbarium. It enables searching and verifying data provided to researchers of scientific institutions in Poland and around the world. Universal access to online resources is an important element of international cooperation in the field of issues related to natural biodiversity, species extinction, invasiveness of alien species, as well as climate change and its impact on the distribution of organisms. Shared materials may also constitute teaching aid in the educational process at various stages, both in schools and universities – herbarium materials provide invaluable assistance in the process of species identification. A practical aspect of sharing herbarium materials is also to facilitate the use of the above-mentioned resources to state administration institutions and officials. The collected data can also be used by public sector institutions and companies, constituting an element of cooperation with Pomeranian herbaria and exchange of knowledge and scientific experience.

Digitization is a sequence of events aimed at transforming analog information into digital information that recreates the available materials as closely as possible.

The digitization process includes a number of stages:

pre-digitalization activities

preparation of the specimen, repair work and conservation of the specimen, preparation of the label, marking the voucher with a unique collection code, writing down data and completing the database, updating the nomenclature

specimen scanning process

In our Herbarium, we use A1 “SupraScan Quartz A1 HD” planetary scanners to make a digital image of the specimen, using a color chart that allows standardization of the process for each scan.

Collecting data on servers

using distributed infrastructure and versioning of backup copies within a specified time range

post-digitization activities

verification of digital files and related metadata, database verification, data formatting, geolocation, standardization of data to required formats

sharing data

on a dedicated platform in digital form, in external data repositories

Virtual herbarium

Herbarium Pomeranicum

The herbarium of the University of Gdańsk provides public access to a wide range of information, including collections, by making them available online on the Herbarium Pomeranicum platform created as part of the project Integrated virtual Herbarium of Pomerania – Herbarium Pomeranicum – digitisation and accessibility of herbarium collections of Pomeranian academic units through their combination and digital accessibility.

The project was implemented with the participation of a consortium of three Pomeranian universities: the University of Gdańsk, Szczecin and the Pomeranian University in Słupsk (Project Leader).
As a result of the project, 468,000 specimens were digitized and made available online. Including:

288,000 specimens of the Herbarium Universitatis Gedanensis (UGDA) of the University of Gdańsk,
110,000 specimens from two herbaria of the University of Szczecin: 48,000 diatom specimens from the Diatomological Collection (SZCZ) and 62,000 specimens from the Herbarium Stetinense (SZUB);
70,000 specimens of the Herbarium Slupiensis (SLTC) of the Pomeranian University in Słupsk.

The initiative of creating a virtual herbarium of Pomeranian universities in the project “Integrated virtual Herbarium of Pomerania – Herbarium Pomeranicum – digitisation and accessibility of herbarium collections of Pomeranian academic units through their combination and digital accessibility” was implemented under the Operational Programme Digital Poland 2014-2020, sub-measure: 2.3.1 Digital providing public sector information from administrative sources and scientific resources (type II of the project: Digital Access to Science Resources) co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the state budget.
Total value of the project: PLN 25,065,886.20; including co-financing from the ERDF under the Operational Programme Digital Poland: PLN 21,213,259.49.

The originator of the creation of a virtual herbarium of Pomerania was Prof. Agnieszka Popiela (University of Szczecin). Together with Prof. Dariusz L. Szlachetko (University of Gdańsk) and Prof. Piotr Niedzielski (University of Szczecin, Pomeranian University in Słupsk), they started working on the concept of a project for digitizing the collections of Pomeranian universities. By inviting the Herbarium of the University of Gdańsk to cooperate, with the experience it had from previous digitization and the creation and operation of databases, standards for the digitization process and the collection and sharing of data were developed. Andrzej Łysko Ph.D. (West Pomeranian University of Technology) made a significant contribution in the field of IT, mainly programming. In January 2020, the process of mass digitization of natural science collections began in the UGDA Herbarium. This process lasted continuously until June 2023. It was a time of intensive work on nature collections, which was possible thanks to the involvement of the University of Gdańsk Herbarium project team. The implementation of such a complex and multi-stage project was possible thanks to a team of specialists and technical employees of the Faculty of Biology and many people employed in the project.

TEAM

Coordination

Prof. Dariusz L. Szlachetko – Project Manager / UG Project Coordinator;
Katarzyna Wszałek-Rożek, M.Sc. – Project Coordinator’s Assistant
chairwoman of the team for the implementation of the Herbarium Pomeranicum Platform, substantive support for the project, reporting and monitoring of the project, administration of the UGDA Herbarium databases;
Joanna Korybut-Orlowska, M.Sc. – Digitization Coordinator
coordination of the work of the digitization team, verification, standardization and sharing of databases, software operation, administration of the UGDA Herbarium databases, integration and mobilization of collection data, substantive support for the project, participation in the development of the concept and testing of the implemented HP Platform solutions;

TEAM

Data Digitization

Prof. Martin Kukwa – substantive preparation of the UGDA-L Lichen Collection, verification of specimens and lichen collection databases;
Renata Afranowicz-Cieślak Ph.D. – verification of herbarium materials of vascular plants and specimen data, including the development of historical collections;
Bartłomiej Hajek Ph.D. – substantive preparation and digitization of the UGDA-B Bryophytes Collection, verification of specimens and databases;
Sławomir Nowak Ph.D. – substantive preparation of the UGDA-Orchids Collection, verification of specimens and databases, substantive support for the project;
Natalia Olędrzyńska Ph.D. – substantive preparation and digitization of the UGDA-Figures Collection, digitization of herbarium materials;
Agnieszka Jabłońska Ph.D. – substantive preparation and digitization of the UGDA-DNA Collection of Genetic Material Samples;
Emilia Ossowska Ph.D. – preparation of specimens for the UGDA-L Lichen Collection;
Piotr Rutkowski D.Sc. – digitization of the UGDA-Orchids Collection of orchids;
Anna Wróblewska, M.Sc. – verification of herbarium materials of vascular plants and specimen data, including the development of historical collections;
Marta Jarosińska, M.Sc. – database verification, substantive and technical assistance in the field of software, completing specimen metadata; participation in developing the concept and testing the implemented HP Platform solutions;
Konrad Kobierski, M.Sc. – preparation of vascular plant specimens, inputting and editing metadata, geocoding resources;

Cezary Bogus, M.Sc. – preparation and digitization of the UGDA-LQ Wet Materials Collection, promotion of the project;
Wiktoria Wensierska, M.Sc. – preparation of vascular plant specimens, inputting and editing metadata, geocoding of resources, digitization of resources;
Iza Marszewska, M.Sc. – inputting and editing metadata, geocoding of resources, digitization of the Lichen Collection (UGDA-L);
Iwona Skorowska, M.Sc. – inputting and editing specimen metadata, geocoding of resources, digitization of resources;
Julia Jaskólska, M.Sc. – preparation of specimens for the UGDA Collection of Lichens and Vascular Plants, digitization of resources;
Maciej Pazdro, M.Sc. – preparation of vascular plant specimens, digitization of resources, graphic editing of resources;
Adrianna Kosiróg-Ceynowa, M.Sc. – inputting and editing specimen metadata;
Victoria Wilicka-Starosta, M.Sc. – preparation of vascular plant specimens, inputting and editing metadata, geocoding of resources;
Łucja Ptach-Styn, M.Sc. – preparation of specimens for the UGDA-L Lichen Collection;
Marta Mazurowicz, M.Sc. – preparation of vascular plant specimens, inputting and editing metadata, geocoding of resources;
Beata Gibka, M.Sc. – preparation of vascular plant specimens;
Małgorzata Witek, M.Sc. – preparation of vascular plant specimens, digitization of resources;
Małgorzata Warda, M.Sc. – preparation of vascular plant specimens;
Michał Depczyński – preparation of vascular plant specimens.

TEAM

IT

Michał Wojtasik, M.Sc. – substantive supervision over the process of implementing the server and network infrastructure, substantive supervision over the process of implementing and launching the Herbarium Pomeranicum platform software;
Michał Gola, M.Sc. – technical supervision over the proper operation of the hardware and software environment created as part of the project, substantive supervision over the process of implementing the server and network infrastructure, monitoring of devices and services of the environment created as part of the Herbarium Pomeranicum project, IT support for the project team;

TEAM

Financial and administrative services

Beata Plebanek, M.Sc. – financial specialist;
financial management of the project, monitoring of the financing process and compliance of expenses with the project budget, reporting and reporting, preparation of data for payment applications in formal and accounting terms;
Monika Szulc, M.Sc. – verification of settlements and payment processing, control of documents regarding costs incurred in formal and accounting terms, cooperation with a financial specialist;
Przemysław Baranow Ph.D. – specialist in administration and promotion of the HP project;
coordinating project promotion tasks, organizing and conducting meetings with stakeholders; coordinating work on organizing the History of Botanical Collections exhibition;