The Chicago Botanic Garden, in collaboration with Kansas University Biodiversity Research Center, the North American Plant Collections Consortium of the American Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboreta, and 15 other institutions, has received a $666,326 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The money is to develop the first step toward a national infrastructure for sharing collections and conservation information for key plant groups at major public gardens.

The electronic database, called PlantCollections, will combine and store records of the institutions’ diverse living plant collections, which will significantly enhance the sharing of information.

The Chicago Botanic Garden will work with computer scientists from KU and will lead a consortium of public gardens.

For more information, go online to www.chicago-botanic.org.