Presentation delivered by Sonoe Nakasone--Cataloging Coordinator for the Field Book Project headed up by the National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Archives--at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 14, 2011 in Washington, DC.
This lecture provides an overview of the scope and purpose of the Field Book Project by highlighting what they are, research questions they address, examples, management and preservation. In addition, this talk reviews how to care for field notebooks if you have them in your own family papers.
The document discusses best practices for cataloging and classifying videocassettes. It recommends integrating videocassette cataloging fully into the main library catalog using established subject heading schemes. Videocassettes should be cataloged and classified similarly to print materials for usability. Nonfiction titles can be integrated among related print materials when storage allows, while fiction may be housed separately but displayed alphabetically by title.
Presentation delivered by Sarah Stauderman, Smithsonian Institution Archives' Collection Care Manager, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 22, 2010 in Washington, DC.
Highlights basic information you need to know about your videotape collections in order to make good decisions about preserving them.
Presentation delivered by Lynda Schmitz Fuhrig, Electronic Archivist, and Jennifer Wright, Archivist, for the Smithsonian Institution Archives, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 14, 2011 in Washington, DC.
Although it first began capturing institutional websites in the late 1990s, the Smithsonian Institution Archives initiated a project in 2009 to capture the explosion of public websites and social media instances maintained by its many museums, research centers, and programs with the Heritrix crawler. This presentation reviews appraisal, accessioning, and capture issues in documenting the Smithsonian’s web presence in the early 21st Century.
Memoranda have been with us for decades. While their purpose remains the same, their form and appearance have changed over the years. This presentation gives you a brief overview of how memoranda found in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution Archives evolved over time. For a more dynamic presentation see the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er6QGM95Nf4a
You can find out more about the history of the Smithsonian on our website: http://siarchives.si.edu/history.
This document provides guidance on creating a metrics plan by going through an existential crisis and self-evaluation. It outlines a 6-step process: 1) self-evaluation of current activities, 2) listening to what others say externally, 3) identifying key audiences, 4) setting goals for those audiences, 5) developing strategies and tactics to achieve goals, and 6) establishing measurements to evaluate progress. It emphasizes starting with self-reflection rather than just asking audiences what they want, and setting "money" measurements tied to specific goals and audiences rather than just outputs. Case studies demonstrate how effective planning can lead to increased donations and engagement.
Presentation delivered by Sarah Stauderman, Collections Care Manager for the Smithsonian Institution Archives, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 14, 2011 in Washington, DC.
Provides a short overview of ways to prepare for an emergency, and how to recover books, paper, and photographs after they get wet.
A presentation about the challenges of long term digital preservation of CAD, Digital Audio Tapes, digital videotapes, websites, social media, email, text documents, and images at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Given by Lynda Schmitz Fuhrig, Electronic Archivist, at the Smithsonian Institution Digitization Fair held in Washington, DC in 2010.
The document discusses best practices for cataloging and classifying videocassettes. It recommends integrating videocassette cataloging fully into the main library catalog using established subject heading schemes. Videocassettes should be cataloged and classified similarly to print materials for usability. Nonfiction titles can be integrated among related print materials when storage allows, while fiction may be housed separately but displayed alphabetically by title.
Presentation delivered by Sarah Stauderman, Smithsonian Institution Archives' Collection Care Manager, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 22, 2010 in Washington, DC.
Highlights basic information you need to know about your videotape collections in order to make good decisions about preserving them.
Presentation delivered by Lynda Schmitz Fuhrig, Electronic Archivist, and Jennifer Wright, Archivist, for the Smithsonian Institution Archives, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 14, 2011 in Washington, DC.
Although it first began capturing institutional websites in the late 1990s, the Smithsonian Institution Archives initiated a project in 2009 to capture the explosion of public websites and social media instances maintained by its many museums, research centers, and programs with the Heritrix crawler. This presentation reviews appraisal, accessioning, and capture issues in documenting the Smithsonian’s web presence in the early 21st Century.
Memoranda have been with us for decades. While their purpose remains the same, their form and appearance have changed over the years. This presentation gives you a brief overview of how memoranda found in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution Archives evolved over time. For a more dynamic presentation see the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er6QGM95Nf4a
You can find out more about the history of the Smithsonian on our website: http://siarchives.si.edu/history.
This document provides guidance on creating a metrics plan by going through an existential crisis and self-evaluation. It outlines a 6-step process: 1) self-evaluation of current activities, 2) listening to what others say externally, 3) identifying key audiences, 4) setting goals for those audiences, 5) developing strategies and tactics to achieve goals, and 6) establishing measurements to evaluate progress. It emphasizes starting with self-reflection rather than just asking audiences what they want, and setting "money" measurements tied to specific goals and audiences rather than just outputs. Case studies demonstrate how effective planning can lead to increased donations and engagement.
Presentation delivered by Sarah Stauderman, Collections Care Manager for the Smithsonian Institution Archives, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 14, 2011 in Washington, DC.
Provides a short overview of ways to prepare for an emergency, and how to recover books, paper, and photographs after they get wet.
A presentation about the challenges of long term digital preservation of CAD, Digital Audio Tapes, digital videotapes, websites, social media, email, text documents, and images at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Given by Lynda Schmitz Fuhrig, Electronic Archivist, at the Smithsonian Institution Digitization Fair held in Washington, DC in 2010.
Presentation delivered by Elena Bruno (University of Lugano), Smithsonian Institution Intern at Office of the Chief Information Officer, Department of Mobile Strategies and Initiatives, on March 17, 2011. This presentation showcases the long history of crowdsourcing at the Smithsonian, using sources and images of past and current projects from the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Presentation delivered by Diane Shaw, Special Collections Cataloger for the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 22, 2010 in Washington, DC.
Provides an overview of materials on African exploration, travel, big game hunting, and natural history acquired by the Smithsonian Institution Libraries in 2004 from the private collection of the Honorable Russell E. Train, with a focus on various issues related to the archival management of the Train Collection, including finding aids, cataloging plans, grant projects, social media applications, and preservation needs.
Presentation delivered by Joyce Connolly, Museum Specialists at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Gardens, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 22, 2010 in Washington, DC.
A summary of the multi-faceted career of J. Horace McFarland (1859-1948), noted printer, City Beautiful advocate, author and horticulturist.
This document provides an overview of the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives collection of photographer Chief Solomon Osagie Alonge at the National Museum of African Art. It describes Alonge's career as photographer to the Royal Court of Benin from 1933 to 1978, and documents the preservation and digitization efforts of Alonge's glass plate negatives, film negatives, photographs and albums. These preservation phases were funded by the Smithsonian Institution and involved housing the materials in archival enclosures, duplicating and digitizing the negatives, and surveying Alonge's artifacts. The collection documents Alonge's studio portraits from the 1930s-1950s, royal family photographs, and commemorative objects he created to memorialize the Ob
The document provides information about exhibitions held at the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery located at the Archives of American Art. It discusses the goals of the exhibitions which are to educate visitors about primary sources in the archives' collections and inspire them to further explore the archives. It also summarizes the results of a visitor survey which found that most visitors learned about artists that resonated with them personally and wanted more information about the archives, artists, and documents. The document promotes upcoming exhibitions at the gallery focused on illustrated letters, artists in their studios, and lists/enumerations created by artists.
The document summarizes the history and development of email from 1965 to present. It discusses the following key points in 3 sentences or less:
- 1965-1966 - Early email allowed communication between users on the same mainframe computer and later between compatible systems.
- 1969 - The first email was sent between disparate systems over ARPANET.
- 1982 - Email transmission standards SMTP and RFC 822 were published and proprietary email applications were developed for personal computers and local area networks like Microsoft Mail, WordPerfect Office, and Cc:Mail.
THE SACRIFICE HOW PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTS STUDENTS ARE SACRIFICING TO CHANGE T...indexPub
The recent surge in pro-Palestine student activism has prompted significant responses from universities, ranging from negotiations and divestment commitments to increased transparency about investments in companies supporting the war on Gaza. This activism has led to the cessation of student encampments but also highlighted the substantial sacrifices made by students, including academic disruptions and personal risks. The primary drivers of these protests are poor university administration, lack of transparency, and inadequate communication between officials and students. This study examines the profound emotional, psychological, and professional impacts on students engaged in pro-Palestine protests, focusing on Generation Z's (Gen-Z) activism dynamics. This paper explores the significant sacrifices made by these students and even the professors supporting the pro-Palestine movement, with a focus on recent global movements. Through an in-depth analysis of printed and electronic media, the study examines the impacts of these sacrifices on the academic and personal lives of those involved. The paper highlights examples from various universities, demonstrating student activism's long-term and short-term effects, including disciplinary actions, social backlash, and career implications. The researchers also explore the broader implications of student sacrifices. The findings reveal that these sacrifices are driven by a profound commitment to justice and human rights, and are influenced by the increasing availability of information, peer interactions, and personal convictions. The study also discusses the broader implications of this activism, comparing it to historical precedents and assessing its potential to influence policy and public opinion. The emotional and psychological toll on student activists is significant, but their sense of purpose and community support mitigates some of these challenges. However, the researchers call for acknowledging the broader Impact of these sacrifices on the future global movement of FreePalestine.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
إضغ بين إيديكم من أقوى الملازم التي صممتها
ملزمة تشريح الجهاز الهيكلي (نظري 3)
💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
تتميز هذهِ الملزمة بعِدة مُميزات :
1- مُترجمة ترجمة تُناسب جميع المستويات
2- تحتوي على 78 رسم توضيحي لكل كلمة موجودة بالملزمة (لكل كلمة !!!!)
#فهم_ماكو_درخ
3- دقة الكتابة والصور عالية جداً جداً جداً
4- هُنالك بعض المعلومات تم توضيحها بشكل تفصيلي جداً (تُعتبر لدى الطالب أو الطالبة بإنها معلومات مُبهمة ومع ذلك تم توضيح هذهِ المعلومات المُبهمة بشكل تفصيلي جداً
5- الملزمة تشرح نفسها ب نفسها بس تكلك تعال اقراني
6- تحتوي الملزمة في اول سلايد على خارطة تتضمن جميع تفرُعات معلومات الجهاز الهيكلي المذكورة في هذهِ الملزمة
واخيراً هذهِ الملزمة حلالٌ عليكم وإتمنى منكم إن تدعولي بالخير والصحة والعافية فقط
كل التوفيق زملائي وزميلاتي ، زميلكم محمد الذهبي 💊💊
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
A Visual Guide to 1 Samuel | A Tale of Two HeartsSteve Thomason
These slides walk through the story of 1 Samuel. Samuel is the last judge of Israel. The people reject God and want a king. Saul is anointed as the first king, but he is not a good king. David, the shepherd boy is anointed and Saul is envious of him. David shows honor while Saul continues to self destruct.
Level 3 NCEA - NZ: A Nation In the Making 1872 - 1900 SML.pptHenry Hollis
The History of NZ 1870-1900.
Making of a Nation.
From the NZ Wars to Liberals,
Richard Seddon, George Grey,
Social Laboratory, New Zealand,
Confiscations, Kotahitanga, Kingitanga, Parliament, Suffrage, Repudiation, Economic Change, Agriculture, Gold Mining, Timber, Flax, Sheep, Dairying,
A Free 200-Page eBook ~ Brain and Mind Exercise.pptxOH TEIK BIN
(A Free eBook comprising 3 Sets of Presentation of a selection of Puzzles, Brain Teasers and Thinking Problems to exercise both the mind and the Right and Left Brain. To help keep the mind and brain fit and healthy. Good for both the young and old alike.
Answers are given for all the puzzles and problems.)
With Metta,
Bro. Oh Teik Bin 🙏🤓🤔🥰
How to Download & Install Module From the Odoo App Store in Odoo 17Celine George
Custom modules offer the flexibility to extend Odoo's capabilities, address unique requirements, and optimize workflows to align seamlessly with your organization's processes. By leveraging custom modules, businesses can unlock greater efficiency, productivity, and innovation, empowering them to stay competitive in today's dynamic market landscape. In this tutorial, we'll guide you step by step on how to easily download and install modules from the Odoo App Store.
Presentation delivered by Elena Bruno (University of Lugano), Smithsonian Institution Intern at Office of the Chief Information Officer, Department of Mobile Strategies and Initiatives, on March 17, 2011. This presentation showcases the long history of crowdsourcing at the Smithsonian, using sources and images of past and current projects from the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Presentation delivered by Diane Shaw, Special Collections Cataloger for the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 22, 2010 in Washington, DC.
Provides an overview of materials on African exploration, travel, big game hunting, and natural history acquired by the Smithsonian Institution Libraries in 2004 from the private collection of the Honorable Russell E. Train, with a focus on various issues related to the archival management of the Train Collection, including finding aids, cataloging plans, grant projects, social media applications, and preservation needs.
Presentation delivered by Joyce Connolly, Museum Specialists at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Gardens, at the Smithsonian Archives Fair on October 22, 2010 in Washington, DC.
A summary of the multi-faceted career of J. Horace McFarland (1859-1948), noted printer, City Beautiful advocate, author and horticulturist.
This document provides an overview of the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives collection of photographer Chief Solomon Osagie Alonge at the National Museum of African Art. It describes Alonge's career as photographer to the Royal Court of Benin from 1933 to 1978, and documents the preservation and digitization efforts of Alonge's glass plate negatives, film negatives, photographs and albums. These preservation phases were funded by the Smithsonian Institution and involved housing the materials in archival enclosures, duplicating and digitizing the negatives, and surveying Alonge's artifacts. The collection documents Alonge's studio portraits from the 1930s-1950s, royal family photographs, and commemorative objects he created to memorialize the Ob
The document provides information about exhibitions held at the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery located at the Archives of American Art. It discusses the goals of the exhibitions which are to educate visitors about primary sources in the archives' collections and inspire them to further explore the archives. It also summarizes the results of a visitor survey which found that most visitors learned about artists that resonated with them personally and wanted more information about the archives, artists, and documents. The document promotes upcoming exhibitions at the gallery focused on illustrated letters, artists in their studios, and lists/enumerations created by artists.
The document summarizes the history and development of email from 1965 to present. It discusses the following key points in 3 sentences or less:
- 1965-1966 - Early email allowed communication between users on the same mainframe computer and later between compatible systems.
- 1969 - The first email was sent between disparate systems over ARPANET.
- 1982 - Email transmission standards SMTP and RFC 822 were published and proprietary email applications were developed for personal computers and local area networks like Microsoft Mail, WordPerfect Office, and Cc:Mail.
THE SACRIFICE HOW PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTS STUDENTS ARE SACRIFICING TO CHANGE T...indexPub
The recent surge in pro-Palestine student activism has prompted significant responses from universities, ranging from negotiations and divestment commitments to increased transparency about investments in companies supporting the war on Gaza. This activism has led to the cessation of student encampments but also highlighted the substantial sacrifices made by students, including academic disruptions and personal risks. The primary drivers of these protests are poor university administration, lack of transparency, and inadequate communication between officials and students. This study examines the profound emotional, psychological, and professional impacts on students engaged in pro-Palestine protests, focusing on Generation Z's (Gen-Z) activism dynamics. This paper explores the significant sacrifices made by these students and even the professors supporting the pro-Palestine movement, with a focus on recent global movements. Through an in-depth analysis of printed and electronic media, the study examines the impacts of these sacrifices on the academic and personal lives of those involved. The paper highlights examples from various universities, demonstrating student activism's long-term and short-term effects, including disciplinary actions, social backlash, and career implications. The researchers also explore the broader implications of student sacrifices. The findings reveal that these sacrifices are driven by a profound commitment to justice and human rights, and are influenced by the increasing availability of information, peer interactions, and personal convictions. The study also discusses the broader implications of this activism, comparing it to historical precedents and assessing its potential to influence policy and public opinion. The emotional and psychological toll on student activists is significant, but their sense of purpose and community support mitigates some of these challenges. However, the researchers call for acknowledging the broader Impact of these sacrifices on the future global movement of FreePalestine.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
إضغ بين إيديكم من أقوى الملازم التي صممتها
ملزمة تشريح الجهاز الهيكلي (نظري 3)
💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
تتميز هذهِ الملزمة بعِدة مُميزات :
1- مُترجمة ترجمة تُناسب جميع المستويات
2- تحتوي على 78 رسم توضيحي لكل كلمة موجودة بالملزمة (لكل كلمة !!!!)
#فهم_ماكو_درخ
3- دقة الكتابة والصور عالية جداً جداً جداً
4- هُنالك بعض المعلومات تم توضيحها بشكل تفصيلي جداً (تُعتبر لدى الطالب أو الطالبة بإنها معلومات مُبهمة ومع ذلك تم توضيح هذهِ المعلومات المُبهمة بشكل تفصيلي جداً
5- الملزمة تشرح نفسها ب نفسها بس تكلك تعال اقراني
6- تحتوي الملزمة في اول سلايد على خارطة تتضمن جميع تفرُعات معلومات الجهاز الهيكلي المذكورة في هذهِ الملزمة
واخيراً هذهِ الملزمة حلالٌ عليكم وإتمنى منكم إن تدعولي بالخير والصحة والعافية فقط
كل التوفيق زملائي وزميلاتي ، زميلكم محمد الذهبي 💊💊
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
A Visual Guide to 1 Samuel | A Tale of Two HeartsSteve Thomason
These slides walk through the story of 1 Samuel. Samuel is the last judge of Israel. The people reject God and want a king. Saul is anointed as the first king, but he is not a good king. David, the shepherd boy is anointed and Saul is envious of him. David shows honor while Saul continues to self destruct.
Level 3 NCEA - NZ: A Nation In the Making 1872 - 1900 SML.pptHenry Hollis
The History of NZ 1870-1900.
Making of a Nation.
From the NZ Wars to Liberals,
Richard Seddon, George Grey,
Social Laboratory, New Zealand,
Confiscations, Kotahitanga, Kingitanga, Parliament, Suffrage, Repudiation, Economic Change, Agriculture, Gold Mining, Timber, Flax, Sheep, Dairying,
A Free 200-Page eBook ~ Brain and Mind Exercise.pptxOH TEIK BIN
(A Free eBook comprising 3 Sets of Presentation of a selection of Puzzles, Brain Teasers and Thinking Problems to exercise both the mind and the Right and Left Brain. To help keep the mind and brain fit and healthy. Good for both the young and old alike.
Answers are given for all the puzzles and problems.)
With Metta,
Bro. Oh Teik Bin 🙏🤓🤔🥰
How to Download & Install Module From the Odoo App Store in Odoo 17Celine George
Custom modules offer the flexibility to extend Odoo's capabilities, address unique requirements, and optimize workflows to align seamlessly with your organization's processes. By leveraging custom modules, businesses can unlock greater efficiency, productivity, and innovation, empowering them to stay competitive in today's dynamic market landscape. In this tutorial, we'll guide you step by step on how to easily download and install modules from the Odoo App Store.
2. • Joint initiative between the National Museum of
Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution
Archives
• Mission: one online location for field book content.
• Beginning as a Smithsonian-wide initiative and
eventually including the entire biodiversity
community.
3. What is a Field Book?
*Primary source document. A record of field events leading up
to and including the collection of biological specimens.
Typical Field books Less typical field books
(may include)
• Specimen Lists • Hand drawn Maps
• Journals with descriptions • Sketches
of collecting specimen • Photographs
• Field Correspondence
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. What is a Field Book?
*Primary source document. A record of field events leading up
to and including the collection of biological specimens.
Typical Field books Less typical field books
(may include)
• Specimen Lists • Hand drawn Maps
• Journals with accounts of • Sketches
collecting specimen • Photographs
• Field Correspondence
11. Other kinds of notes
• Depict specimens and
surrounding environment.
• Illustrate precise location
specimen was found.
• Expound or comment on
what was found.
• Something extra.
12. Field books meet several research needs
• Specific location information for specimen
• Itinerary information
• Environmental context
• Historic snapshot
13. Presented by Rusty Russell to the Society For The
Preservation of Natural History Collections
14. Presented by Rusty Russell to the Society For The
Preservation of Natural History Collections
Collected at Tucson May 15—this is a very common
plant throughout southern Ariz. In many places it is
a troublesome weed. The vine sometimes 30 feet
long climb over bushes and small trees. It produces
flowers until late in the fall. Most abundant along
marshes and creeks.
15. Conservation and Management
Photo
credit: Photo
Nora credit:
Lockshin Anna
Friedman
Preservation efforts headed by Conservator Anna Friedman are funded by the
National Park Service Save America’s Treasures grant.
16. What if there are field books in my family papers?
Illustration in a moldy
Proceed With Caution and Care A book of 19th century
scientific reports of
book, by Shannon Ramos,
national exploration
Creative Commons:
expeditions from SIA’s
Attribution 2.0.
Reference Room library,
Retrieved from October suffering from a cracked
28, 2010 article by spine and brittle paper,
Catherine Shteynberg on Courtesy of Michal Long.
The Bigger Picture. Retrieved from
September 30, 2010
article on The Bigger
Picture:
http://siarchives.si.edu/
Advise about caring for your collections The Bigger Picture : blog/taking-care-our-
own
http://siarchives.si.edu/blog/you-asked-we-answered-taking-care-your-own-
archives
Wikimedia
Commons,
retrieved
September
13, 2011
17. What if there are field books in my family papers?
Learn More About the Field Notes and Creator
• Who was your relative?
• Was collecting a job or
hobby
• If collecting was part of
their job, where did they
work?
http://www.ubio.org/portal/
• What locations and date
http://Eol.org
ranges are there?
• What Kind of Specimen are
they collecting?
18. What if there are field books in my family papers?
Is It Appropriate to Keep or to Donate?
• Historical significance: • What condition are they
locally, nationally, or in?
internationally
• Do the specimens belong • Do the field books match
to an institution? the scope of the
Check specimen catalogs of repository you want to
institutions your relative worked donate to?
for or contact the department’s
collections manager.
19. Acknowledgements
Smithsonian Project Team:
Rusty Russell, Collections & Informatics, Botany
Anne Van Camp, Director, SI Archives
Tammy Peters, Supervisory Archivist, SIA
Ricc Ferrante, Director of Digital Services, SIA
Field Book Project Team:
Carolyn Sheffield, Project Manager
Sonoe Nakasone, Cataloging Coordinator
Lesley Parilla, Cataloger and Graphics Designer
Save America’s Treasures (NPS) Team
Sarah Stauderman, Collections Care Manager, SIA
Nora Lockshin, Paper Conservator, SIA
Anna Friedman, Book Conservator, Field Books
Digitization Project
Taxonomic name of specimen highlighted in red box.
Location information highlighted in green box below taxonomic name.
Journal.
This is a Journal that includes a specimen list.
Photograph, map, sketch in annotated specimen list, field correspondence.
Background: image of a specimen in a herbarium.Foreground: image of the specimen label. This is the same information that is entered into a specimen database.
Image of an excerpt from the field book that refers to the specimen from the previous slide. The additional information provided in the field notes provides far more context than is available on the specimen label.
Left: image of field notes taken in the Department of Botany Library. Items are crowded, leaning, stacked, sticking out beyond the length of the shelf. This causes warping and other sorts of damage. Right: image of the same field books after they were relocated to a climate controlled environment with more shelf space. No treatment has been performed on these items yet, but they are already in better condition because they are stored properly and have additional room to grow as conservation work and rehousing is occurs.
Items you encounter may have mold, dust, be brittle, or fragile. They could also contain residue from harmful chemicals your relative may have worked with. Use gloves and masks if necessary, wash hands after touching materials. The link above is to an article about how to care for your collections and addresses some of these issues.
Left: image of a database for taxonomic names. This is the user friendly version, but a more straight forward version is simply www.ubio.org/. EOL is also a good resource. In both cases, type in the taxonomic names listed in a field book to learn what kind of specimens your relative was collecting.
Your relative may not be famous nationally or internationally, but are they a local celebrity, leader, or noted scientist? Did your relative teach at a local university? Were they a prominent member of a local nature society?Specimens and their field notes should ideally be together. If the specimens are at the Smithsonian for example, you might consider donating the field notes to the Smithsonian Archives. What condition are they in? You may want to consult an expert to weigh your options if they are in poor condition.Archives and other institutions have specific missions. Perhaps what you have is out of their scope. Find out what they collect by going to their website or calling. Your items may be very important, but might not be right for that institution.