IMPLEMENTATION OF EGEMS (ELECTRONIC GEOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOSCIENCES AT VIRGINIA TECH

The Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, like many geoscience departments, houses enormous amounts of geological material. Without proper organization and management, these materials can become disorganized, and significant portions can be lost or discarded. This results in a serious problem, not only is history lost, but so is the potential for further data collection using newer analytical techniques. The challenge is to integrate a variety of different materials into one organized system. Museums have found a solution to this through the process of collections management; a key part of the process uses computer databases to store records for each object in a collection. Through cross-referencing, these databases can be queried and any record easily found. With this process as a model, the electronic geological management system, EGEMS, was developed.

The early stages of this project required research and assessment. One assessment asked potential users to discuss how EGEMS would benefit them, and to evaluate prospective fields for cataloging research products. From this assessment, tables and fields were developed to meet a wide range of needs. In addition, database systems currently used by natural history museums were reviewed to gain an understanding of what works well and what does not. Using constant feedback from a multitude of potential users, the layouts of EGEMS were repeatedly refined. The result is a simple, user-friendly interface that meets a variety of needs, and flows smoothly from one screen to the next.

Before EGEMS was implemented at Virginia Tech, the department had two separate databases for minerals and fossils with no prospect of expansion to other materials. Using EGEMS, they were able to combine databases, and have already entered information for other materials totaling the number of current records close to 10,000. For the first time, research products including materials synthesized in experimental labs and their analyses have been catalogued. EGEMS has the potential to help many individuals and institutions to better manage their collections, preserve experimental data, and provide new access to materials. New National Science Foundation proposal requirements now make it more important than ever for researchers in the geosciences to utilize tools such as EGEMS.