Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Institutional Records Keeping

February 2-7, 2009, Wheeling, WV
$750 for AZA Individual Members and $850 for Non-members
[join AZA]

Registration

Until Friday, October 3, 2009, preference for admission will be given to applicants who are AZA individual members. After October 3rd, applications will be processed in the order received.

Download the Registration Form (in PDF). Please note that you can use Adobe Acrobat Reader to type your responses directly into this form, print, and return by mail or fax. You may also print the form, write in your information and return by mail or fax. Each course has a registration form specific for that course.

Please Note:

Checks sent for course payment will be cashed immediately upon receipt as per standard business practices. Cashing your check does not indicate that you have been accepted into a course. You will receive an acceptance letter or wait list letter once acceptance decisions are made. If you have any questions about your acceptance status, please email us at .

Travel and Accommodations

Please wait until you are admitted into the course before making your reservations. You will receive a confirmation letter containing detailed information regarding your accommodations and transportation once you are admitted. For general information on travel and lodging, please see the Professional Training in Wheeling page.

Curious about the costs associated with this course?

The Cost and Logisticspage (in PDF) will help you estimate the total cost of attending, including registration, hotel, and ground transportation.

Interested in a Scholarship to attend this course?

The following scholarship opportunities are currently available to aquarium and zoo professionals for the Institutional Records Keeping course.

Robert O. Wagner Professional Development Award

merit based award

Board of Regents Diversity Advancement Award
for under represented individuals
Disney's Animal Kingdom Diversity Advancement Award
for under represented individuals
Zoo Conservation Outreach Group Conservation Training Award
for colleagues from countries in Latin America and the Caribbean Basin
International Conservation Training Award
for all foreign zoological colleagues

Course Credit

Objective

Explores theory and mechanics of animal records-keeping at zoos and aquariums and the important role accurate records play in successful captive management. Promotes standardization of animal records management, improvement of the integrity of institutional records, and facilitates exchange of data among records keepers and member institutions.
Students will take away a working knowledge of the Animal Records-Keeping System 4 (ARKS4), the ISIS Web site and other ISIS resources and develop an understanding of how AZA, ISIS, SSPs®, TAGs, PMPs, studbooks and institutional animal records combine forces through regional and global conservation management programs to manage captive populations.

Target Audience

Record keepers, registrars, ARKS users, curators, collection managers, records specialists, records managers, and information specialists. Class size limited to 28.

Course Topics

Introduction to Records and Data

History and evolution of record-keeping
Importance of accurate record-keeping
Introduction of Data Entry Standards

Principles and Applications of Records-Keeping – Births and Deaths

Overview of ARKS4-discussion of ISIS software and set-up
Documenting notes in comment section
Principles of birth accessions, death dispositions
Data entry for birth accessions and death disposition

Principles and Applications of Records-Keeping - Transactions

Principles of accessions and dispositions
Data entry for all acquisitions besides births
Data entry for all dispositions besides deaths

Data entry

Taxonomy
Estimating dates

Mechanics of Communication/Data Flow

Basic communication skills;
The whole brain approach-dominance of cerebral or limbic modes affect behavior
Understanding behavior facilitates communication
Communication with animal care staff-need for keeper training
Life cycle of data
Data flow and data quality

Groups

Individual vs Group ID numbers
Principals of data entry for groups

Recording Identifiers and Measurements

Data entry - identifiers, measurements
Records Challenges – taxon specific issues

Data Quality Overview

Interzoo data checks
Linking within the ISIS database
Data Validation Report

ISIS Quality Control Tools, Website, Related Software

ISIS Web site
Studbook Library/Husbandry CD-ROM
Data submission error reports, Missing Data utility
Data quality housekeeping tools

Genetics and Demography

Importance, terms and theory, impact of data
Types of analysis and reports

Enclosure Data Entry

Data entry- enclosures
Setting up enclosure codes, enclosure tree
Batch enclosure moves

Systematics and Taxonomy

Relevance to population management
Importance of identification of species/subspecies and accurate data entry.

Web Links - Useful internet resources

Permits and Regulations

Government agencies requiring permits
Regulation update
Permitting procedures
Documentation for government agencies

ARKS4 Reports

Specimen, Taxon, Transaction and other reports

Studbooks

Management of studbooks within the institution
Relationship between SPARKS, ARKS and ISIS central database
Impact of ARKS data quality on studbook information
Studbook reconciliation tool on ISIS website
Studbook Library CD

AZA Conservation Management Programs - SSP's and PMP's

Cooperative, coordinated species management: SSPs and PMPs
Purposes
Studbooks-source of data, genetic and demographic analysis

Historical Records

Importance and uses of historical data
Identify sources of historical records
Guidelines for entering historical data.

Records Management / Accessibility

Definitions and principles
Development of a records management program
Systems for data recovery
Access to records by public and the media

ISIS Software

Question and Answer Session.

Course Schedule (subject to change)

Download the course schedule (in PDF).

Course Instructors (subject to change)

Glenous Favata
Registrar
Toledo Zoo

Elisabeth Hunt
ISIS

Lynn McDuffie
Assistant Curator of Records
Disney's Animal Kingdom

Adrienne Miller
Curator of Collections Management
Audubon Zoo

Karin Schwartz
Biological Database Manager
Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo

What your colleagues have been saying

“This course was fabulous, I am much more confident and comfortable with record keeping and have learned a lot of great information.”

“Excellent course. I absolutely admire your collective teaching techniques and enthusiasm for the subject.”

Questions?