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…
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…
Published: March 26, 2025 Best Practices, Wiki Home
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…
Published: March 26, 2025 Committees, Wiki Home
Contents 1 About 2 Committee Members 3 Links About IDEA stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. This committee was officially founded in April 2021 as a full committee The function of the IDEA committee is the following: Committee Members Up-to-date membership for committee. Links For links and other aggregated resources related to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 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. Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Restoration/renovation 3.1 Rehydration 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 links…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Fixation and Preservation 3.1 Preservation of tissue samples 3.2 Formalin Fixation Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about herpetology specimen preparation. Contributors Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint Meeting – 2016, during an iDigBio sponsored workshop by the following individuals participating in…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Contributors 3 Restoration/renovation 3.1 Rehydration 4 Labels and systems for printing 5 Identification and sorting of collected material 5.1 Accessioning 5.2 Cataloging 5.3 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 links and documents contain…
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…
Published: March 26, 2025 Best Practices, Wiki Home
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 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,…
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 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 Contributors Andrew D. Williston; Emily Braker Fluid Collections 2D Imaging Fluid-preserved specimens face some unique imaging challenges due to the risk of desiccation when…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Contributors 4 Fluid Collections 5 Links Statement of Purpose This section includes information related to fire safety and suppression within natural history museums. Introduction Fire can be caused by faulty construction, carelessness, improper protocols, or lack of policy within an institution. All aspects of a natural history museum or collection facility should…
Published: March 26, 2025 Committees, Wiki Home
About The Finance Committee acts solely in an advisory capacity to the Treasurer and Council. Committee Members Up-to-date membership for committee. Committee Documents Finance Committee Description from the Leadership Manual
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 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…
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 3.1 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) 4 General Recommendations for Processing Specimens 5 General Methods 6 Ichthyology Specific Methods 7 Herpetology Specific Methods 7.1 Amphibians 7.2 Amphibians and Fish: Larvae and Embryos 7.3 Reptiles 8 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for euthanasia. Contributors Breda Zimkus and Dirk Neumann. Some…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 2 Introduction 3 Sustainability within the museum setting 4 Sustainable development goals within museums 4.1 Action Items 5 Educators and staff working directly with visitors 6 Researchers and Staff 7 Energy consumption 8 Waste Reduction 9 Materials reused 10 Materials discarded 11 Contributors 12 References Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about best practices for environmental specification for collections spaces…
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…
Published: March 26, 2025 Committees, Wiki Home
About The mission of the Emerging Professionals Group (EPG) is to generate ideas that will bring about our greater involvement in the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNHC), and to offer more opportunities for connections, mentorship, and professional development tailored to emerging professionals working with natural history collections. The Emerging Professionals Group…
Published: March 26, 2025 Committees, Wiki Home
About The Election Committee is responsible for coordinating and carrying out the procedural steps involved in the nomination and election of officers. Committee Members Up-to-date membership for committee. Committee Documents Election Committee Description from the Leadership Manual
Published: March 26, 2025 Committees, Wiki Home
Contents 1 About 1.1 Function 1.2 Leadership and Composition 1.3 Duties 2 Collections Education Resources 2.1 Natural History Education Portal 2.2 Other Collections Resources 3 Collections Education Events 3.1 Natural History Education DemoCamp 4 Committee Members About Function The Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections Education Committee will work to develop, support, and promote formal (K-12, Undergraduate and Graduate) and informal education, and…
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…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 1.1 Introduction to Digitization 2 Contributors 3 Related pages 4 iDigBio’s workflows for digitization 5 Six task clusters of digitization 6 Adam Summers workflow for CT scanning Statement of Purpose These links and documents contain information about digitizing natural history collections and their associated data. Introduction to Digitization In the context of the SPNHC wiki ‘digitize’ means…
Contents 1 Statement of Purpose 1.1 Defining Digitization 2 Digitization Resources 2.1 Data Aggregation 2.2 Data Aggregators 2.3 Data Management 2.4 Data Mobilization 2.5 Data Standards and Mobilization 2.6 Data Transcription 2.7 Database Software 2.8 Georeferencing 2.9 iDigBio Digitization Resources Wiki 2.10 Imaging and Media 2.11 Key References and Further Reading 2.11.1 Herbarium resources 2.12 Webinars 2.13 Workflows 2.14 Workshops and Symposia 3 Contributors 4 References Statement of Purpose Realizing the import of collections [1][2][3], SPNHC…
ls and how to apply to