Category: Specimen and Material Type

Tissue Sample Collection

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Cryogenic Collections, Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type, Specimen and Object Preparation, Zoology Collections

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…

Taxidermy and Skins

Published: March 26, 2025    Archaeology and Ethnographic Collections, Best Practices, Curation Practices, Health and Safety, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

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…

Supplies and Vendors

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Storage, Curation Practices, Preventative Conservation Book, Specimen and Material Type

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…

Storage Materials: Plastics

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Storage, Curation Practices, Preventative Conservation Book, Specimen and Material Type

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…

Shipping Small Fossils

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Management, Collection Transactions, Curation Practices, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Specimen and Material Type

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…

Rehousing Materials

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Collection Storage, Curation Practices, Preventative Conservation Book, Specimen and Material Type

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…

Preparation

Published: March 26, 2025    Botanical Collections, Conference Proceedings, Cryogenic Collections, Desired BP Content, Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 About 2 Contributors 3 Specimen Preparation Types by Collection Type 3.1 Botany 3.2 Herpetology 3.3 Ichthyology 3.4 Ornithology 4 Links 4.1 Community Standards About These links and documents contain information about best practices for the preparation of different types of natural history specimens. Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint Meeting – 2016, during an…

Paper Conservation

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Curation Practices, Specimen and Material Type

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…

Ornithology Specimen Preparation

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Cryogenic Collections, Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type, Specimen and Object Preparation, Zoology Collections

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…

Mercury

Published: March 26, 2025    Archaeology and Ethnographic Collections, Botanical Collections, Collection Management, Desired BP Content, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Health and Safety, Preventative Conservation Book, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Introduction See description of Mercury chloride, (I) Hg2Cl2 and (II) HgCl2 (sublimate) on Biocides page. Links http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Health_%26_Safety:_Heavy_Metals,_their_Salts,_and_other_Compounds http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Tin-Mercury_Amalgam_Mirrors#Health_.26_Safety

Labeling Natural History Collections

Published: March 26, 2025    Archaeology and Ethnographic Collections, Best Practices, Botanical Collections, Cryogenic Collections, Curation, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

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…

Invertebrate Zoology Collection Curation

Published: March 26, 2025    Curation Practices, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

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 6.1 Preservation types 6.2 Sensitive and rare specimen handling/preserving 6.3 Fluid preserved invertebrate handling and storage 6.3.1 Clear glass, screw-top jars 6.3.1.1 Types of glass 6.4 Plastic Containers 6.5 Vials Containing Whole Specimens 6.6 Stainless…

Imaging in the Field

Published: March 26, 2025    Conference Proceedings, Desired BP Content, Digitization and Imaging, Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Recommended Equipment 4 Imaging specimens 5 Imaging Back-up Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for imaging live animals in the field. Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint Meeting – 2016, during an iDigBio sponsored workshop by the following…

Ichthyology Specimen Preparation

Published: March 26, 2025    Desired BP Content, Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type, Specimen and Object Preparation, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Contributors 4 Fluid-Preservation Techniques 4.1 Preservation of tissue samples 4.2 Fixation and Preservation (Adult Fishes) 4.3 Formalin Fixation 4.4 Ethanol Fixation 4.5 Fixation and Preservation (Marine fish eggs and larvae) Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about ichthyology specimen preparation. Introduction Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH)…

Ichthyology Collection Curation

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Curation Practices, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Specimen and Material Type

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…

Herpetology Specimen Preparation

Published: March 26, 2025    Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type, Specimen and Object Preparation, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Contributors 4 Fixation and Preservation 4.1 Preservation of tissue samples 4.2 Formalin Fixation 5 Links 5.1 Consensus Documents 5.2 Community Standards 5.3 Review Documents 6 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about herpetology specimen preparation. Introduction Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint Meeting – 2016, during…

Herpetology Collection Curation

Published: March 26, 2025    Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Contributors 4 Source Material 5 Restoration/renovation 5.1 Rehydration 5.2 Deaccessioning 6 Labels and systems for printing 7 Identification and sorting of collected material 7.1 Accessioning 7.2 Cataloging 7.3 Collection organization 8 Storage in collection (containers) 8.1 Sensitive and rare specimen handling/preserving 8.2 Clear glass, screw-top jars 8.3 Glass Gasket jars 8.4 Plastic Containers 8.5 Vials Containing Whole Specimens 8.6 Stainless steel tanks Statement of Purpose These…

Geological Collection Curation

Published: March 26, 2025    Curation Practices, Desired BP Content, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Specimen and Material Type

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Types of Geological Collections 4 Acquisition 5 Curation 5.1 Identification 5.2 Cataloging 5.3 Georeferencing 5.4 Labeling 5.5 Storage and Organization 6 Policies 6.1 Access 6.2 Health and Safety 7 Links 8 References Statement of Purpose Geological collections are extremely broad in scope and inlcude paleontological, petrological, mineralogical and many other types of materials. These collections are the foundation of our understanding of…

Fossil Collecting Code of Conduct

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Field Collecting, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Legislation and Regulations, Specimen and Material Type

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…

Fluid Collections

Published: March 26, 2025    Botanical Collections, Curation Practices, Desired BP Content, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Importance of stable environment for long-term preservation 3.1 Unstable storage environment accelerates deterioration 4 Temperature based expansion of ethanol 5 Contributors 6 Source Material 7 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for fluid collections relevant to natural history collections. Introduction Fluid-preserved specimens may be plants,…

Fluid Collection Monitoring

Published: March 26, 2025    Best Practices, Botanical Collections, Curation Practices, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

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,…

Fluid Collection Imaging

Published: March 26, 2025    Curation Practices, Digitization and Imaging, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Fluid Collections 2D Imaging 31 Workflows and Guides 3.2 Immersion tanks 4 Links Statement of Purpose This page is for information and workflows about imaging fluid collections Introduction Contributors Andrew D. Williston; Emily Braker Fluid Collections 2D Imaging Fluid-preserved specimens face some unique imaging challenges due to the risk of desiccation…

Field Notes

Published: March 26, 2025    Archaeology and Ethnographic Collections, Botanical Collections, Desired BP Content, Field Collecting, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Recording medium 4 Formatting 5 Field Catalog minimal data requirements 6 Field Journal 7 Voucher-less specimens 8 Examples Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for field notes. Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint Meeting…

Entomology Collection Curation

Published: March 26, 2025    Curation, Desired BP Content, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Pinned collections 3.1 Hazards 3.2 Handling 3.3 Storage 4 Secondary Mounts 5 Envelopes 5.1 Sealing 5.2 Labeling 5.3 Material 6 Contributors 7 Source Material 8 Links 9 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about curating entomology collections. Introduction Entomology collections have methods that have been used successfully for many hundreds of years, and proper use of these methods…

Botany Specimen Preparation

Published: March 25, 2025    Best Practices, Botanical Collections, Cryogenic Collections, Field Collecting, Specimen and Material Type

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Mounted specimens 4.1 Pressing and drying botanical specimens 4.2 Mounting botanical specimens 5 Packets 6 Dried tissue (silica or cryo) 7 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about botany specimen preparation. Contributors This material was added by Katie Pearson on behalf of the Society of Herbarium Curators Early Career Section. Introduction Botanical…

Access and Benefit-Sharing (Nagoya Protocol and the CBD)

Published: March 25, 2025    Best Practices, Botanical Collections, Collection Management Policies, Cryogenic Collections, Legislation and Regulations, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 How are the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol Connected? 4 Scope 5 The Nagoya Protocol In Brief 6 ABS Clearing-House 7 National Focal Points and Competent National Authorities 8 Access Obligations 9 Benefit-sharing Obligations 9.1 Monetary and Non-monetary Benefits 10 Compliance Obligations 11 Monitoring User Compliance 12 Guidance for Compliance: Codes of Conduct, Guidelines and Best Practice…

Adhesives

Published: March 24, 2025    Curation Practices, Specimen and Material Type, Specimen and Object Preparation

Contents 1 Contributors 2 Introduction 3 The use of adhesives in botanical collections 4 Adhesives used for mounting, repairs and conservation treatment 5 Methylcellulose (MC) 6 Hydroxylpropylcellulose (HPC) 7 Wheat starch paste (WSP) 8 Animal glues: Gelatins, Isinglass 9 Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVA) 10 Acrylics 11 A note on the Archer’s plastic adhesive 12 Conclusions on the use of adhesives in botanical collections 13 Bibliography Contributors Magdalena Grenda-Kurmanow Introduction…

Amber Ethics and Guidelines

Published: March 24, 2025    Botanical Collections, Collection Management, Desired BP Content, Field Collecting, Geology and Paleontology Collections, Legislation and Regulations, Specimen and Material Type, Zoology Collections

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Introduction 4 Myanmar Amber Statement of Purpose Contributors Christina Byrd Introduction Myanmar Amber The following guidelines and resources were developed by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) Myanmar Advisory Working Group. These guidelines were developed with input from relevant experts and stakeholders. It is the hope of SVP that these resources…

Archives and Special Collections

Published: March 24, 2025    Curation Practices, Desired BP Content, News, Specimen and Material Type

Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Uses 4 Common Collection Types 5 Contributors 6 Source Material 7 Links 8 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for archives and special collections relevant to natural history collections. Introduction Special Collections are collections that are separated from an institution’s main collection according to; collector, rarity, specimen type,…