[Nhcoll-l] Databasing Specimens Collected from Other Specimens

[Bob Glotzhober]

Our database allows for multiple numbers associated with an object. In such a case, we could assign a new catalog number to the fungus found growing on the insect, but also add the original collection number for the insect. This cross-references the fungus to the insect. I would also go back to the original record for the insect, and annotate it with a cross-reference to the fungus collection number. That way both items are cross-referenced and someone working with either collection is made aware of the connection between the two objects.

 

Not that I consider this any more “correct” than any of the other answers supplied to this query – but it is another manner to handle to situation, which in my mind seems to work.

Bob Glotzhober

 

Robert C. Glotzhober

Senior Curator of Natural History

Ohio Historical Society

800 E. 17th Ave.

Columbus, Ohio 43211-2474

Ph. 614-298-2054

e-Mail: bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org <mailto:bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org>  

 

 

 

From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Gregory Schneider
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2013 11:05 AM
To: Lewis-Gentry, Genevieve
Cc: Natural History Collections Listserv (nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu)
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Databasing Specimens Collected from Other Specimens

 

In my opinion, the collecting event is exactly the same.  It is analogous to finding a whole identifiable specimen (ie. a lizard) in the stomach contents of a previously catalogued snake.  I would catalogue the lizard separately with the same collecting data as the snake, and cross reference the new entry to the original.

On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 10:54 AM, Lewis-Gentry, Genevieve <glewis-g at oeb.harvard.edu> wrote:

Hello everyone,

 

We are running into an interesting collections issue for databasing in the Farlow Herbarium and we were wondering how other natural history collections are handling the issue.

 

Our example:

Insect specimens were collected, identified, and stored in an entomological collection. Later, the insects were checked for a type of fungus (Laboulbeniales) and when found they were removed and mounted on permanent slides in the fungal collections. What counts as the collecting information? The original collection information for locality etc? (Which is our thought.) Who is the collector? The person who collected the insect or the person who collected the fungus? There are collector numbers for both.

 

We assume things like this across other types of natural history collections. (Birds and mites are an example we thought could exist.) We are having it happen here between our herbarium and the entomological collections in the department as well as from loans from other entomology collections who are letting us keep and deposit the fungal material here.

 

We want to have the best data we can within our system capabilities as well as match how other collections are handling this type of issue.

 

Any thoughts, suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. I am sure that we are not the only ones with cross collections issues like this.

 

Thank you so much and let me know if you want more information.

Genevieve

 

=================================================
Genevieve Lewis-Gentry, Curatorial Assistant
Farlow Herbarium, Harvard University Herbaria
22 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138  U.S.A.
Phone: 617-495-2365  Fax: 617-495-9484
glewis-g at oeb.harvard.edu

 


_______________________________________________
Nhcoll-l mailing list
Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l





 

-- 

Greg Schneider
Division of Reptiles and Amphibians

Museum of Zoology
University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079
734 647 1927     734 763 4080 (FAX)

734 763 0740 (Biodiversity Research Center at Varsity Drive)
ges at umich.edu <mailto:ges at umich.edu> 

 

 

www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/rep_amph/index.html <http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/rep_amph/index.html> 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20130228/476e747d/attachment.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 3152 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
Url : http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20130228/476e747d/attachment.jpe