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Germplasm collections often connect past, present, and future research endeavors by preserving key research specimens and making them widely available. They also serve as a critical reference resource for taxonomic research, preserve specimens from biodiversity surveys, and supply materials for various practical applications. To fully realize the value of germplasm collections, we should go beyond mere physical preservation. These collections must be connected intimately to active research programs and their associated expert personnel and data resources so as to ensure their continuous growth and integrity. Since many different types of data are generated using germplasm collections, resulting data should be organized in a format that is readily available and should also be linked to individual specimens. Given the need for maintaining and integrating diverse and large datasets to support research communities, it is essential to establish a cohesive and user-friendly cyberinfrastructure supporting the management of collections. Using a few projects as examples, I will present several key issues in creating value-added germplasm collections via the use of informatics tools.<p><p>Keywords: