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2003-01-01Zeitschriftenartikel DOI: 10.18452/8551
The plight of geological collections in the Australian tertiary education system
Simpson, Andrew
A 1975 report identified the areas of geology and anthropology as being the two most likely to develop collections in Australian Universities. Since then Australia has seen a relative decline of the traditional resource-based economy and a lessening demand for geology graduates. Over the last decade, but particularly since 1996, the restructuring of the tertiary education sector has meant that university based collections in areas that do not attract a significant student load, such as geology, are in danger because of a lack of adequate resources for their effective management. Staff levels are an indicator of resources available for management of collections. The 1998 Transforming Cinderella Collections report showed some eight staff Australia-wide responsible for just over 1 million specimens. A mere four years from that time and these staff numbers are now much reduced. Many large collections have no staff and are essentially inaccessible. Whilst the large number specimens required for undergraduate teaching do not require advanced information management systems, those that result from basic research do. Without adequate management systems and strategies, the knowledge base of the earth sciences in Australia is at risk.
 
Um relatório publicado em 1975 identificou as areas da Geologia e da Antropologia comò as que potencialmente geram um maior nùmero de colecçôes nas universidades australianas. Desde essa ocasiâo, quer a utilizaçâo econòmica dos recursos energéticos tradicionais quer a procura de recém-licenciados em Geologia tem vindo a diminuir gradualmente. Por outro lado, a reestruturaçâo do ensino superior australiano durante a ùltima década, em particular desde 1996, teve corno consequência directa a diminuiçâo de recursos, o que por seu turno colocou em risco as colecçôes universitârias de areas que nâo atraiam um nùmero significativo de estudantes. Os niveis de pessoal sâo um indicador dos recursos disponiveis para a gestâo das colecçôes e o relatório Transforming Cinderella Collections mostrou que, em 1998, oito pessoas apenas tinham a seu cargo um nùmero superior a 1 milhâo de espécimens. Apenas quatro anos passados e os niveis de pessoal encontra-se ainda mais reduzidos. De facto, muitas importantes colecçôes encontram-se hoje sem pessoal responsâvel e virtualmente inacessiveis. Apesar dos espécimens utilizados directamente no ensino nâo necessitarem de sistemas sofisticados de gestâo da informaçâo, tal nâo acontece para os espécimens résultantes da investigaçâo fundamental e aplicada. Sem estes sistemas de gestâo e sem estratégias claras, é o pròprio conheeimento fundamental sobre as ciências da terra na Australia que esta em perigo.
 
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DOI
10.18452/8551
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