by Anne Skates
search & discover is a resource and information centre at the Australian Museum. It deals with a range of science and related enquiries. The area is designed for small groups and individuals involved in independent and semi-independent study. The resources give users access to information in a range of ways including specimens, hard copy, computers, multi-media, and staff. In 1994 The Australian Museum Society (TAMS) provided sponsorship for the set-up phase. In 1995 Hewlett Packard undertook a partnership with search & discover and provided the computer hardware.
search & discover is open to the public seven days a week, from 9.30 am to 5 pm. Enquiries can be made in person, by phone, post, fax or email. The main users of search & discover are the general public, individual researchers, other agencies or organisations and small community or education groups.
search & discover is often the first place visitors and other users contact the Museum to obtain general level scientific information or help. In search & discover visitors can identify specimens, find answers to scientific and cultural questions, locate information for school or university projects, study animals, read recent science and natural history magazines and view natural history videos.
search & discover promotes the work of Museum scientists and publicises the role of scientists in the Museum by displaying newspaper articles and other information about their research and encouraging scientific staff participation in search & discover programs at peak times. Scientific staff write text for information leaflets, advise on equipment and work in search & discover in school holidays. Scientists in the Museum are available when expert opinions and information are needed.
Collections in search & discover are supplied by collection managers and supplemented by donations from members of the public who bring in many specimens for identification. National Parks and Wildlife Service and animal care groups donate specimens from road kills, window strikes or animals killed by cats and dogs. The subjects of common inquiries are represented in our collections as well as colourful, spectacular or unusual animals and minerals.
Other resources available in search & discover include CD-ROMs, databases, Internet access, books, journals and other written material, videos, posters, cassettes of frog and bird calls, microscopes and biological and geological specimens.
search & discover often holds a number of live invertebrates. The live invertebrates vary seasonally but often include Spiny Leaf Insects, Giant Burrowing Cockroaches, rainforest scarabs, spiders, yabbies and animals brought in by members of the public.
Information can be photocopied, or printed out from the Museum Information Disks (Frogs, Cicadas, Spiders, Marine Animals), CD-ROMs (which include Australian products such as the CSIRO’s Insects and Webster’s/Australian Museum’s Australian Mammals, Australian Birds, Australian Reptiles and Frogs) or the Internet.
Staff in search & discover assist members of the public with their enquiries, a large number of which are answered over the phone. Visitors to the centre have the opportunity to satisfy their own curiosity and become involved in their own research by examining specimens, using the microscopes or books and CD-ROMs, databases and the Internet as well as consulting staff. In the past, common, seasonal and general enquiries would have been passed directly to scientific staff, but now most are answered in search & discover and specialist enquiries are referred elsewhere.
The three full-time staff in search & discover are Anne Skates (Manager), Elizabeth Cameron and Michael Harvey (Information Officers). Three university students work as casual Information Officers and a number of Research Library staff work in search & discover on a rostered basis.
search & discover is part of the Division of Information Science (along with the Research Library, Archives and Records, Network and Information Technology Development and Management). The Research Library provides library services to researchers and search & discover combines a broad range of general information resources and specimens to a more general audience.
search & discover
Australian Museum, 6 College Street, Sydney 2000
Phone: 02 93206202, Fax: 02 93206065
Email: sand@amsg.austmus.gov.au
Homepage: http://www.austmus.gov.au