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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I thought this first ALA Newsletter was well worth posting to
the lists.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Lee Belbin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>TDWG Secretariat<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Donald.Hobern@csiro.au
[mailto:Donald.Hobern@csiro.au] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, 13 June 2008 10:15 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Donald.Hobern@csiro.au<br>
<b>Subject:</b> ALA Newsletter 1<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0
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<p class=MsoNormal><em><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:17.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:#4E5836'>Atlas of Living Australia</span></b></em><b><span
lang=EN style='font-size:17.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#4E5836'>
Newsletter 1 (10 June 2008)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'>Welcome to the <em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Atlas
of Living Australia </span></em>newsletter<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>The Atlas of Living Australia project is now making progress
and we plan to produce a regular informational newsletter to keep stakeholders
and friends aware of what is happening. We would appreciate it if you could
pass this first newsletter on to interested colleagues. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>Please send an email to Wolf Wanjura (<a
href="mailto:Wolf.Wanjura@csiro.au"><span style='color:#444444'>Wolf.Wanjura@csiro.au</span></a>)
if you wish to be added to the mailing list for this newsletter, or if you
wish to be removed from the list.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'>The project<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is a five-year project
funded under the Australian Government's National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy (<a href="http://www.ala.org.au/ncris.htm"><span
style='color:#444444'>NCRIS</span></a>) and involving a wide range of
Australian scientific institutions and organisations (see <a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/participants.htm"><span style='color:#444444'>http://www.ala.org.au/participants.htm</span></a>).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>The goal of the project is to develop web-based tools to
enable users to discover, access and use the widest possible range of
information resources relating to Australia's fauna and flora, including
databases from natural history collections and ecological field work, images
and other multimedia, text documents, identification tools and molecular
data.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>A presentation giving an overview of some of the planned
project activities can be found at <a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/documents.htm"><span style='color:#444444'>http://www.ala.org.au/documents.htm</span></a>
(<a href="http://www.ala.org.au/docs/ALAChallengesAndOpportunities.ppt"><span
style='color:#444444'>PowerPoint</span></a>, 11.5MB; <a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/docs/ALAChallengesAndOpportunities.pdf"><span
style='color:#444444'>PDF</span></a>, 2.3MB)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'>ALA web site<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>The ALA has launched its web site (<a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/"><span style='color:#444444'>http://www.ala.org.au/</span></a>).
At present it mostly comprises information about the project and its
participant organisations, but the site will increasingly include information
and discussions on the planning and implementation of the project. Ultimately
it will become the ALA portal for discovering information on all Australian
species.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'>ALA user needs analysis<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>What can you do for the ALA today? We need your contacts in
biodiversity – lots of them, and from as many different fields as you
can identify. We want to ask them (and you) a few simple questions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>We have commissioned a small team to investigate how users
access such information today and how they use it in their own studies and
decision-making. Over the next few months, this team will be contacting many
of you to learn more about your needs. Please give them your support - we
want to understand how the ALA can become a useful tool for you in your work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>For more information on this process, see <a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/userneedsanalysis.htm"><span style='color:#444444'>http://www.ala.org.au/userneedsanalysis.htm</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'>TDWG 2008 conference to be held in Perth<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>TDWG, the international biodiversity information standards
organisation (<a href="http://www.tdwg.org/"><span style='color:#444444'>http://www.tdwg.org/</span></a>),
will hold its annual conference at the Western Australian Maritime Museum,
Perth, 19-25 October 2008. One day of the conference will be devoted
specifically to the Atlas of Living Australia and will include workshops to
explore ways for the project to meet the needs of Australian researchers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>For more information on the conference, see <a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/tdwg2008.htm"><span style='color:#444444'>http://www.ala.org.au/tdwg2008.htm</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'>ALA review of online and desktop tools<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>Paul Flemons and John Tann from the <a href="am.htm"><span
style='color:#444444'>Australian Museum</span></a> have carried out an
extensive review of software components which could feed into the development
of the Atlas or which could be of benefit to data providers or users. The
results of this review are online at <a href="http://alatools.pbwiki.com/"><span
style='color:#444444'>http://alatools.pbwiki.com/</span></a>. Please take a
look at this resource and suggest any additional tools which should be
included.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>For more information on this review, see <a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/toolsurvey.htm"><span style='color:#444444'>http://www.ala.org.au/toolsurvey.htm</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'>ALA and GBIF<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>We have started discussions with the Global Biodiversity
Information Facility (GBIF, </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:#444444'><a href="http://www.gbif.org/"
title="http://www.gbif.org/"><span style='color:#444444'>http://www.gbif.org/</span></a></span><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666'>) to
ensure that the ALA can act as the Australian node within GBIF. The ALA
expects to reuse code from the GBIF Data Portal to develop its own cache of
Australian biodiversity records. This cache will then serve as an
efficient way to integrate Australian data into GBIF’s global network.
The ALA has also begun discussions with GBIF New Zealand on possible
ways to share resources and align activity.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'>Other activity<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'>Over the last few months the ALA team has been working on the
following tasks:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#666666'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style='margin-top:0cm' type=disc>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Establishing
the ALA web site<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Interviewing
candidates for the positions of ALA Architect, Metadata Curator and Java
Developer<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Developing
the ALA's 2008-2009 Business Plan<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Working
with the</span><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'> </span><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:#444444'><a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/ncris.htm"><span style='color:#444444'>NCRIS</span></a></span><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'> </span><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'>Platforms for Collaboration capability’s</span><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#4E5836'> </span><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:#444444'><a
href="http://www.ncris.dest.gov.au/capabilities/collaborative_investment_plan_platforms.htm#National_eResearch_Architecture_Taskforce_(NeAT)"><span
style='color:#444444'>NeAT</span></a></span><span lang=EN
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#4E5836'>
</span><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>programme
to plan the development of the ALA's Metadata Repository and Data
Annotation Services.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class=MsoNormal style='color:#666666;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Meetings
to explore possible collaborations with related organisations and
projects, including contacts with representatives from Birds Australia,
CSIRO Publishing, EarthWatch, GBIF New Zealand, the Murray Darling Basin
Commission, Rio Tinto, the Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostic
Standards and many of the ALA </span><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#444444'><a
href="http://www.ala.org.au/participants.htm"><span style='color:#444444'>participants</span></a></span><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:
column;mso-height-rule:exactly'><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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