Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 USFWS Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits 4 Resources Statement of Purpose This page is for information on USFWS Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits. See also Permitting. Contributors Emily Braker USFWS Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Salvage Permits are administered by the Department…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Contributors 4 Vial Considerations 5 Labeling and organizing vials 6 Tissue Collection Methods 7 Tissue Types 8 Tissue Preservation Methods 8.1 Freezing and Flash-freezing 8.2 Ethanol 8.3 DMSO 8.4 RNAlater 8.5 Tissue Piecing Protocol 9 Discipline Specific Information 9.1 Herpetology 9.2 Ichthyology 9.3 Mammalogy 10 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for tissue sample collection. Introduction Role of…
Contents 1 SPNHC Threatened Collections Toolkit 2 Contributors 3 What are endangered and orphaned collections 4 What natural history collections are at risk? 5 Why do collections become orphaned? 6 Warning signs of endangered collections 7 Taking in an orphaned collection 8 Preventing orphaned collections 8.1 Museum and university research collections 8.2 Private collections 8.3 Corporate collections 9 Deaccessioning an orphaned collection in a museum or university…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Contributors 4 General Taxonomic Resources 5 Botanical Resources 5.1 Online Nomenclature Resources 5.1.1 General Botany Resources 5.1.2 Vascular Plant Resources 5.1.3 Non-Vascular Cryptogam Resources 5.1.3.1 Bryophytes 5.1.3.2 Fungi and Lichens 5.1.3.3 Algae 5.2 Print Nomenclature Resources 5.3 Rules of Botanical Nomenclature 5.4 Botanical Latin 5.5 Assessing Specimen Names 6 Zoological Resources 6.1 Online Nomenclature Resources 6.1.1 Amphibians 6.1.2 Birds 6.1.3 Fishes 6.1.4 Invertebrates 6.1.5 Mammals 6.1.6 Reptiles 7 Geology and Paleontology 7.1 Online…
Contents Statement of Purpose Contributors Links Highlighted Resources History of Taxidermy Taxidermy Storage Stabilization & Restoration of Taxidermy Taxidermy & Pest Control Taxidermy & Disaster Recovery Health & Safety Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about the care and preservation of skin and taxidermy collections. There is a wealth of information on…
This page is an initial listing of useful supplies and vendors for curation activities Curation Supplies & Vendors Category 1 Category 2 Item Description Mfg Supplier Pricing Unit size Cmt Image Curation Storage Jars (flint & paragon) withpoly-propylene lids with F217 poly-ethylene, alcohol resistant liners N/A O’Berk/Kols containers $xx.xx/jar 8 oz – 1 gallon Also…
Chapter 33: Plastic Storage Products Scott Williams, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Contents 1 Chapter 33: Plastic Storage Products 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Basic Terminology 1.3 Suitability Criteria for Plastic Storage Products 1.4 Hazards Associated with Plastic Storage Products 1.5 The Nature of Plastics 1.5.1 Polymerization 1.5.2 Thermoplastics and Thermosets 1.6 Degradation of Plastics 1.6.1 Chemical Degradation 1.6.2 Oxidation 1.6.3 Moisture and hydrolysis 1.6.4 SIDEBAR 1 – How to Interpret the…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Shipping Small and Fragile Fossils 5 Packing Micro-Fossil Mounts for Shipping 6 Links 7 References Statement of Purpose This page presents recommendations on how to pack and ship small fossils to prevent damage in transit. Contributors Carrie Eaton Introduction These glass vials are packed with batting then nested into a box for…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Shipment Types 4.1 Dangerous Goods 4.2 Genetic Resources 4.3 Geology and Paleontology 4.4 Pinned, Dry Insects 5 Shipping Regulations 5.1 List of Regulations 5.2 Links to SPNHC Wiki Pages 6 Links 7 References Statement of Purpose This page contains an overview on shipping collections and links out to specific shipping resources an information Contributors Genevieve Tocci; Shelley A. James;…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Regulating agencies 4 Training 5 Dangerous goods/Hazardous materials 6 Regulations 6.1 Domestic Regulations 6.2 International Regulations 6.2.1 International Customs Requirements 6.2.2 Dangerous Goods Regulations of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 7 Transport in personal baggage as carry-on or checked luggage 8 Natural history specimens 8.1 Problems and concerns 9 Source Material 10 Conference Presentations & Training Modules 11 References Statement of Purpose…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Scientific Collecting Licenses 4 Resources Statement of Purpose This page is for information Scientific Collecting licenses for lethal take of wildlife, including plants. See also See also Permitting. Contributors Emily Braker Scientific Collecting Licenses Scientific Collecting Licenses authorize the lethal collection of wildlife, generally for purposes of survey, inventory, or targeted scientific research.…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Salvage Permits 4 Resources Statement of Purpose This page is for information on US state-issued Salvage Permits. See also Permitting. Contributors Emily Braker Salvage Permits Salvage Permits are a type of Scientific Collecting License that authorize collecting of dead animals and their parts (skulls, feathers, etc.) for scientific research and educational purposes. These…
Contents 1 About 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Reopening Collections 4.1 Managing Collections After Closure Due to Public Health Emergencies 4.2 Receiving Incoming Collection Items After Closure Due to Public Health Emergencies 5 Links About Here we present a checklist of items to consider for reopening collections after institutional or departmental closures, specifically when circumstances do not allow some or all staff…
This content is excerpted from Preventive Conservation: Collection Storage (2019), Elkin and Norris, eds. Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Boards and Papers 4 Foams, Padding and Support Materials 5 Film and Sheet Products 6 Fabrics and Soft Products 7 Adhesives 8 Tapes 9 Mechanical Fasteners 10 Sewing 11 Products for Metals Storage 12 Inappropriate Materials Statement of Purpose This list of materials is primarily drawn from Chapter…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Permitting Checklist for Researchers 4.1 When Preparing for a Collection Trip 4.2 While on a Collection Trip 4.3 After the Conclusion of a Collecting Trip 5 Tracking Permits Associated with Specimens 6 Categories of Legal/Compliance Documentation 6.1 Access and Benefit-Sharing Agreement 6.2 Authorization to Possess 6.3 Collecting Permit 6.4 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction: Paper as an element of natural history collections 4 Definition of Paper 4.1 Permanent and Archival Papers 4.2 Highlights in the history of papermaking 4.3 Fibers Used in Papermaking 4.4 Considerations Regarding Removal/Replacement of Historical Papers 4.5 References Statement of Purpose Paper is frequently associated with natural history collection and herbaria specimens. It can be…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Study Skin Preparation 5 Skeleton Preparation 6 Fluid-specimen Preparation 7 Spread Wing Preparation 8 Preparation Procedure Resources 9 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about ornithology specimen preparation. Contributors Emily Braker Introduction Bird specimens are prepared in multiple formats depending on anticipated collection needs and utility. Study skins are the…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Catalog Numbers 3.1 Best Practices 3.2 Legacy Numbering Systems 3.3 Lot-based Systems 3.4 Numbers for Specimens Prior to Accession 4 Accession Numbers 5 Persistent Identifiers 6 Barcodes 7 Contributors 8 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about numbering systems for natural history collections. This content was generated after several email threads on Nhcoll-l indicating…
Contents 1 Contributors 2 Introduction 3 Setting the Stage: Types of Standards 4 Identifying Material Standards 4.1 Labeling Substrates 4.1.1 Paper 4.1.1.1 Preservation Issues 4.1.2 Coated Paper 4.1.2.1 Preservation Issues 4.1.3 Synthetic Papers 4.1.3.1 Polyethylene – Tyvek® 4.1.3.2 Spun-Bound Polyester 4.2 Ink and Printing Technologies 4.2.1 Manual Marking 4.2.1.1 Pens 4.2.1.2 Stamps 4.2.1.3 Pencils 4.2.2 Printing Technologies 4.2.2.1 Inkjet Printing 4.2.2.2 Key Requirements 4.2.2.3 Laser Printing (and Photocopiers) 4.2.2.4 Key Requirements and Tests 4.2.2.5 Thermal Transfer Printing 4.3 Attaching…
Published: March 26, 2025 Best Practices, Curation
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Guidelines for curation and management 4 Processing of Specimens 4.1 Acquisition and accession 4.2 Handling of type material 4.2.1 Primary types 4.2.2 Secondary types 4.3 Labeling 4.4 Archiving collection documents 4.5 Data capture 5 Arrangement of Main Collection 6 Conservation of Specimens 7 Access and Use of Collections 7.1 Specimen use 7.1.1 Student or thesis collections 7.1.2 Teaching and exhibition 7.1.3 Loan policies 7.1.4 Destructive sampling…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Collections and their Impact 3.1 Economy and trade 3.2 Changes over time 3.3 Environmental Quality 3.4 Food and agriculture 3.5 Public Health and Safety 3.6 National Security 3.7 Invasive Species 3.8 Scientific Treasures 3.9 Unanticipated Uses / New data 4 Who Uses Natural History Collections? 5 Consequences of Orphaned Collections 6 Links 7 Resources 8 References Statement of Purpose Our ability to understand the…
Published: March 26, 2025 Best Practices, Committees
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Links Statement of Purpose This page is produced by the IDEA Committee as a page of resources related to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access within the natural history community. If you know of any resources that would be of use that we should add, please contact the committee. Links A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Reading List, with…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Restoration/renovation 3.1 Rehydration 3.2 Deaccessioning 4 Labels and systems for printing 5 Identification and sorting of collected material 5.1 Accessioning 5.2 Georeferencing 5.3 Cataloging 5.4 Collection organization 6 Storage in collection (containers) 6.1 Sensitive and rare specimen handling/preserving 6.2 Clear glass, screw-top jars 6.3 Glass Gasket jars 6.4 Plastic Containers 6.5 Vials Containing Whole Specimens 6.6 Stainless steel tanks Statement of Purpose These…
Published: March 26, 2025 Best Practices
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Developing Policies 3.1 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) 3.2 Guide to operations 4 Funding and Budgets 5 Facility Management 5.1 Access and security 5.2 Space planning 5.3 Lighting 5.4 Flooring 5.5 Ventilation 5.6 Oxygen monitors 5.7 Backup precautions 6 Genetic and Genomic Collections Storage 6.1 Temperature considerations 6.2 Liquid nitrogen cryovats 6.3 Liquid nitrogen supply 6.4 Mechanical freezers and refrigerators 7 Operational Best Practice 7.1 Facility functions and services…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributor 3 Introduction 4 Code of Conduct for Paleontological Collectors 5 Additional Resources Statement of Purpose This document is being created as a guideline for all field collections involving paleontology as a list of do’s and don’ts when you are on someone else’s land. Contributor Jacob Bridy Introduction While cultivating a friendly working relationship…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Recommendations 3 Food Management Policy & Procedures 3.1 Special events 3.1.1 Case Study: Special events 3.2 Staff issues 3.2.1 Case Studies: Staff issues 3.3 Visitor issues 3.3.1 Case Study: Visitor issues 3.4 Vendor food location 3.4.1 Case Study: Vendor food location 3.5 Design of food 3.5.1 Case Study: Design of food 3.6 Food preparation areas 3.6.1 Case Study: Food preparation areas 4 Links 5 Contributors Statement…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Preventing Evaporation 3.1 Risks of Evaporation 4 Topping Up 4.1 Quantitative Topping up Tools 5 Future Monitoring 6 Contributors 7 Additional Resources 8 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for monitoring fluid collections in natural history collections preserved in ethanol (EtOH). For additional information on fluid collection curation and management,…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Budget and Funding 5 Long-term storage of specimens 6 Logistics 7 Scientific Supplies and Equipment 7.1 Chemical Agents 7.2 General Supplies for Documentation 7.3 Measuring and monitoring equipment 7.4 Specimen Collection Equipment 7.5 Specimen Fixation Supplies 7.6 Shipping materials 7.7 Sterilization Equipment 8 Camping Equipment 9 First Aid 9.1 Medications 9.2 General First Aid 10 Links 11 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Budget and Funding 5 Long-term storage of specimens 6 Logistics 7 Scientific Supplies and Equipment 7.1 Chemical Agents 7.2 General Supplies for Documentation 7.3 Measuring and monitoring equipment 7.4 Specimen Collection Equipment 7.5 Specimen Fixation Supplies 7.6 Shipping materials 7.7 Sterilization Equipment 8 Camping Equipment 9 First Aid 9.1 Medications 9.2 General First Aid 10 Links 11 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents…
About These links and documents contain information about best practices for disaster planning in the museum relevant to natural history collections. Museum SOS For many people in the museum community, the events that took place in New York and Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001 brought home the vulnerability of our cultural heritage and added…
