[Seminar Series] The making of biodiversity data: collection digitization and its politics in natural history museums

In light of the recent surge in projects aiming to mass-digitize collections, this talk reflects on processes and practices of data production in natural history museums. It in particular pays attention to the politics of these practices: the power indifferences and sociopolitical conditions that become clear from looking at what work is done by whom, which data are deemed valuable to record, and who decides on the investment in- and shape of digitization processes. The talk argues that these socio-material conditions of data production matter to how data is processed and made available, and as such to how biodiversity crises are approached and managed. Besides reflecting on processes of data production, the talk thus explores how “solutions” to crises of species extinction and biodiversity loss are given shape through mass-digitization projects at natural history museums.

Speaker: Dr. Roos Anne Hopman (Klagenfurt University)

Language: English

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Photo Credits: Veit Braun