DIGITAL DATABASES AT THE PERKINS GEOLOGY MUSEUM

The Perkins Geology Museum at the University of Vermont houses the Vermont State Collection and other notable specimens and oversees a growing number of educational digital archives (http://geology.uvm.edu). Educational products for students and teachers of earth science include websites, image archives, and K-16 curricula.

The National Science Foundation-funded Human-induced Landscape Change Project archives historic and modern landscape image pairs throughout Vermont. Work with high school students, high school teachers, and historical societies builds this digital archive on-line. With funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Perkins Geology Museum Digitization Laboratory images the rocks, minerals, fossils, historic maps, interpretive thin-sections, and 35mm slides of the Perkins Museum collections. Images of the Perkins Museum collections and associated interpretive data are archived for K-16 curriculum development projects and geologic research. The Science and Technology Governor's Institute high school program annually interprets Vermont natural areas and records natural science interpretive information on-line through student-made webpages. Capable and motivated high school student participants incorporate digital video and digital imagery in their interdisciplinary work.

Continued management of the Perkins Geology Museum databases includes making our meta-data files and search engine capabilities compatible with national digital registries.