EMu in the NHM: A personal perspective Darrell J. Siebert Dept. of Zoology

Origin in mid 1990s A need for a Museum wide database solution –Management of collections –Provision of collections information in a digital age –Cost control –Data security (Agreement and implementation only reluctant)

Pilot Project (2002 – 2003) Test migration of a dataset of 135,000 records Period of use – would users be comfortable with EMu? Answers: “Yes” – but this view was somewhat naïve!

3 Year Project to install EMu at NHM Initially conceived as a 5 year project – Dir. of Sci. said he would fund a modular 3 year project –5 6 months projects to install in Sci. depts.:Mineralogy; Entomology; Palaeontology; Zoology; and Botany –1 6 months project to bind it altogether (web design, etc.) at the end

The NHM MOA Programme Hired a Project Manager (from outside) Hired a database professional (1/2 time on the project Formed a Programme Committee

Cultural Change Engaged a course in Managing Cultural Change –Getting us to work together –Getting us to communicate with each other Not entirely successful -- the people who decided they didn’t need this training are the ones who needed it the most (and still do)!

My Role: a Programme Resource Experience in installation and use of EMu –Entomology –Palaeontology Attempts to improve ‘support’ modules of EMu –Taxonomy --- Entom, Palaeo, Zool –Parties –Sites --- Botany has lead Helped to move to EMu rather than just re-create extant systems in EMu