Collection cataloguing
Open up research collections and enable global access

Background

Preserving and making accessible an outstanding treasure

Each of our estimated 30 million collection items holds valuable knowledge.

Some meteorites, for example, contain water and provide clues that water may have reached our planet in this way.

Hundreds of thousands of so-called type specimens serve as reference objects against which animal species were first described. The ‘Berlin specimen’ of the primitive bird Archaeopteryx documents the transition from classic dinosaurs to the living dinosaurs of today, which we usually refer to as birds. With the collective knowledge in the collection, we can explore what holds the Earth together biologically and geologically.

Furthermore, the collection provides numerous answers to pressing questions regarding, for example, climate change, evolution and biodiversity, and offers important impetus for innovation, for instance in medicine and technology. By studying fossil remains of animals and plants from earlier geological eras, we can specifically investigate the consequences that changing environmental conditions have for the living world.

Creating the conditions for use and research

Anything intended for research or as a source of inspiration must be well preserved and accessible. However, the majority of the collection is still housed in historic cabinets and, in some cases, in unrenovated collection rooms – despite, and indeed because of, the only gradual renovation and modernisation of the listed main building that has been underway since 2008. Its comprehensive development and expansion is now taking place for the first time as part of the Museum Evolution, the implementation of our future plan.

Furthermore, only a fraction of the 30 million collection items are currently available in digital form. Many objects contain information that can only be accessed using future technologies.

Implementation

What is collection cataloguing?

We are aware of our responsibility to catalogue the collection and make it accessible worldwide. To enable its comprehensive use, we work systematically on its cataloguing and further development.

Collection development encompasses all processes that ensure the long-term usability of objects:

• their conservation and preservation,
• the structured documentation of relevant data,
• digital recording, and the creation of access for research and the public.

The Future Plan forms the strategic and financial blueprint for this phase of the museum’s evolution. The Bundestag and the State of Berlin are providing the necessary funding. We are implementing these measures within the sub-project ‘Collection Development and Access’. Their implementation is scheduled to be completed by 2028.

At the same time, this is a task that will never be fully completed. Collection development is a core component of the museum’s ongoing evolution. Even after the completion of the Future Plan, new requirements, technical possibilities and expectations regarding the physical and digital use of the collection will continue to emerge.

Areas of focus

Transformation

How do we catalogue and digitise 30 million objects?

As part of our transformation, we are preserving the collection through conservation, digitising it using modern technology, and developing methods that enable academia, education and society worldwide to access objects, images, data and historical sources. At the same time, we are opening up our work to the public: special exhibitions such as digitize! and ZUGvögel – A Collection in Motion provide insights into these processes and were, in part, created through public participation.

Information Management

How do we ensure reliable and sustainable collection data?

In information management, we establish the technical and data science foundations for collection cataloguing. We develop clear structures and workflows to ensure that object information is recorded, processed and preserved in a consistent manner. Central media and specialist databases guarantee verified, long-term archived data, which we make available via our data portal and international platforms.

To ensure that as many people as possible can use the data without restriction for research, work, teaching or creative projects, the museum has adopted a copyright labelling policy. This obliges the museum to publish data from mass digitisation under Creative Commons licences. This makes it immediately clear how the data may be used.

Access, innovation and networking

How do we make digital objects freely available?

Through access, innovation and networking, we make digital collection objects available worldwide – for research, education, art and creative applications. Through the Digital Catalogue, we make collection and research data, as well as high-resolution images, audio recordings or 3D models, freely available, depending on the object. Projects such as a 3D-based tactile model of a forest dung beetle demonstrate how digital collection data promotes innovation and inclusion.

Collection-related research

How is new knowledge created?

In collection-related research, we demonstrate what new knowledge emerges when digital and physical collections are considered together. To this end, we bring together innovative approaches in interdisciplinary research clusters – ranging from meteorite research and urban biodiversity to sound analysis and collection history.

We investigate the new research opportunities opened up by digitisation, the knowledge generated by modern imaging and chemical techniques, and how research contributes to the in-depth cataloguing of the collection. The clusters are now firmly established within regular research operations and collaborate with national and international partners.