Batch Processing Use Cases

Museum of the Moving Image

1. Museum staff move a large number of objects, and would like to change the location of all objects at once.
2. Objects previously on loan have been donated to the Museum, and staff would like to move all loan id numbers to the "other number" field, and assign all new accession numbers.
3. Museum staff would like to make a number of objects (gathered into a "group") available online or through a kiosk

University and Jepson Herbaria (UC Berkeley)

Dick Moe:

• The most common batch process that I do is alter the name of all specimens named X from X to Y and simultaneously make an annotation entry giving the date and the name of the person authorizing the change
• A similar change is to alter names given a list of specimen IDs
• Likewise, write in, or alter geographic coordinates given a list of specimen IDs
• Correct misspelling in a text field given a list of specimen IDs
• Alter a county name given a list of specimen IDs
• Alter a date given a list of specimen IDs
• Delete the contents of a field (or an entire record) given a list of specimen IDs
• Obviously, a lot of what might be considered batch processes are done relationally--change the spelling of a collector's name by changing it in the collector name table; change the spelling of a scientific name by altering some aspect of the taxon name table, etc.
• These are batch processes that deal with existing records. It kind of shades into bulk loading

Andrew Doran:

• Certainly batch georeferecing would be a useful application. So selecting specimens with identical localities and then assigning them lat and long.
• Populating blank fields with new data, replacing old data with new values, standardizing collectors.
• Applying treatments (freezing, determinations etc.) to multiple specimens (incoming loans).
• Batch processing nomenclatural and taxonomic changes etc.
• Of course the specimens need to be selected in the first place to make the changes to them.

Statens Museum for Kunst

1. Museum staff move a large number of objects, and would like to change the location of all objects at once, SMK do it today
2. Delete or edit the contents of a field in a group of records
3. Museum staff would like to make a number of objects (gathered into a "group") available online or through a kiosk
4. SMK use groups in connection with loan in and -out, and exhibition procedures as well as scientific research