FOSSIL INVERTEBRATE WEBSITE PROJECTS AT THE FIELD MUSEUM

Museum websites can be important platforms to provide data about museum collections and research projects as well as tools to generate interest among the public. In March 2011 The Field Museum’s redesigned website went live. The new website provides improved access and page templates for staff and student interns, which allows them to easily add a variety of content that compliments existing exhibits, informs the public of current events and research projects, and highlights collection specimens normally not seen by the general public. The Fossil Invertebrate Section of the Geology Department has added web pages on the history of the section, information on the scope and size of the collection, and various photo galleries focusing on the collection. In addition, preparations are currently under way to create an online fossil invertebrate database.

During the summer of 2011, interns worked on a project to digitize some of the Field Museum’s Silurian reef invertebrate fossil records from a set of handwritten labels and catalogs. Two of the main goals were to preserve the history of the fossil data and to make it generally accessible to a larger audience. Such preservation is essential to maintaining fossil collections and preventing them from becoming obsolete. At the end of the internship, a video was created documenting this work and shared via the museum’s webpage. This video is important in documenting the crucial work student interns perform for the museum, attracting interest in potential future interns, and providing a tangible product for the interns themselves.

In collaboration with the Department of Technology, the Fossil Invertebrate Section has participated in some new museum-wide digital projects. The Field Museum’s first iPhone and iPad app, Specimania, is now available for download. Two fossil invertebrate specimens (the Tully Monster and a dalmanitid trilobite) are presented in the app, which uses collectible cards that feature specimens from The Field Museum. Each card has information on the featured specimen and is used in several digital games. Finally, The Field Revealed is a new video series focusing on collection favorites among the museum staff. One episode is devoted to the Tully Monster, the State Fossil of Illinois.

Please visit the website at: fieldmuseum.org/fossil-invertebrates.