How to Associate Specimens with Multiple Parts

Each independently movable physical specimen in the herbarium is given its own barcode number.  For example, a sheet and its separate fruit will be assigned different barcodes.  The same applies to multiple sheets for a single collection.  To connect the various objects together in the database, use the Associations tab in the Catalogue module.

First, create separate Catalogue records for each independent specimen object and save the records. On the Associations tab for each record, connect to the other part via the Related Objects attachment field. Enter the Relationship between the objects using the lookup list.

Example

The collection for D. R. Hunt is made up of a sheet and a separate fruit. Connect the fruit record to the sheet and the sheet record to the fruit via the Related Objects attachment field.

Specimen Record

Separate Fruit Record

Virtual Herbarium

The linked records will appear linked in the Virtual Herbarium, so users can find all associated objects easily.

Related Multimedia

Do not attach multimedia records of herbarium specimen images to any catalogue records other than the one with the same barcode.  This means that images of separate fruit should not be attached to the record pertaining to the related herbarium sheet, for example.   

Herbarium specimen images are named according to the barcode number of the specimen imaged.  These images should be attached only to the catalogue record bearing that same barcode number.