Re: AIS: REF: AIS as International Registration Authority

I have many ideas and comments to share in this discussion and perhaps later today I will have the time to put more of them in writing. In the meantime, perhaps the first step is to make an actual decision to begin an archive of coloured photographic, illustrative, or other relevant material relating to registered irises.

The ICNCP does state that such specimens should be sent to the appropriate International Cultivar Registration Authority (in this case they would go to the AIS), or the should go to a public herbarium that maintains collections of nomenclatural standards. In this later case, the ICNCP lists the only two approved Statutory Plant Registration Authorities in the United States as The Commissioneer Of Patents and Trademarks (Patent & Trademark Office http://www.uspto.gov) and The Commissioner of the Plant Variety Protection Office Agricultural Marketing Service Department of Agriculture (http://www.ams.usda.gov/science/pvpo/PVPindex.htm).

The ICNCP says that "A statutory plant registration authority is an organization established by natioinal legal enactment or by international treaty, which, as part of its remit, publishes variety denominations or other names for plants (see Appendix II for a list of such statutory authorities)."

Please keep in mind this is only one way of approaching the image archive that Robert mentions. Any organization can start an image library in any manner of their choosing. I am simply presenting another aspect that may be more structured and is directly related to the registration of irises.

AIS (since it is the assigned ICRA) can establish its own registration committee to handle this or it may place additional duties upon the registrar (and hopefully compensate him appropriately). If AIS does choose to go this route then at some point the registrar can actually link the images to each cultivar in the official registration database. As Robert mentioned this would be the most accomodating way to publish and illustrated electronic checklist.

Some ICRAs actually make submission a requirement of the registration process. Personally, I believe the registration process should be kept as simple as possible for registrants while maintaining the required information for cultivar registration. Acceptance of slides, pictures, or electronic images would be appropriate. I then recommend scanning the appropriate materials so that an electronic representation is available. The actual slides and photographs can be stored in the society's existing archives after scanning. The images then are tied into the registration database. They can be stored on a CD or more appropriately now, a DVD. Storage media continues to improve. My preferred storage media would be to keep backup copies of the images that are in the database in a separate detached harddrive device. There should be no problem transferring this backup archived copy to whatever future electronic storage devices come along thus creating a permanent digital record.

Everyone has been sharing some great thoughts and ideas about this and I am enjoying the discussion. I do feel that a digital archive will occur, the only question I have is "when" will it happen. Perhaps the earlier it starts, the more comprehensive it will become.

If AIS does not wish to persue this at this time, then the efforts of the sections now will help at a later date should AIS move forward with such a project.

Bobby Baxter



----- Original Message ----- From: "Robt R Pries" <rpries@sbcglobal.net>
To: <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2004 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [iris] AIS: REF: AIS as International Registration Authority


John mentions some interesting thoughts that deserve more time than I have to develop. But here are a few quick thoughts.

John wrote the following questions.
How long do photos last?  Oh, you meant digital?
How many people have CD burners?

These have more to do with how one goes about archiving image information than whether or not the plan i have suggested is viable. If we are accepting that we would like to have images accompanying registration when possible and that dividing the task of storing these among the various sectional groups is more practical than laying on another job to the registrar, then we can begin to assess the techniques by which we go about it.

Presently we have no society wide concensus that this is the way to go. But I have done some research into all types of storage and find that every one has serious drawbacks unique to the type of media. I tend to believe that the harder problem will be getting images in the first place no matter what the format. For this reason I believe the collection of media should be in any and every form possible. How the archivists choose to store it is another matter. More importantly as and after it is being collected it should be utilized by printing articles in newsletters and illustrated checklists, websites, etc.

To answer Johns question more specifically: Photos can be scanned and digitalized, Cd's produced on a home machine are believed to last on average as little as five years. The archivist does not need to recieve images on CD if they have access to a photo and slide scanner. Any professional archivist will tell you the longest lasting records are printed matter on acid proof paper. I frequent the Missouri Botanical Garden Library wher there are beautiful prints over 200 years old. It is certainly possible to produce an illustrated printed record that would last longer then any of us plan to be around. This passed on to the next generation allows them something to work with with their future technologies. But if the data is not collected now, it becomes more questionable in the future as to whether that new picture is of the plant it contends to be.

It is not necessary that the AIS and Specialty groups accept the plan I have proposed. I am sure that every group would put their own twist on it. But if you believe the idea of finding a way to gather images near the time of registration is worthwhile now would be a good time to comment. And maybe an overall concensus might bring something into being.

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