[Nhcoll-l] Care & Use of Natural History Museum Collections Class--your input requested

Tue Mar 11 12:15:02 EDT 2014

When I hire students to work in our collections - two skills come to mind.
Are they familiar enough with databases (of any kind) to be able to parse
out information into correct fields -- this can be taught.  The second
parallels David's "museum sensibility" and is an attention to details.  So
many times students say "oh yes, I can handle details" but oh no they
can't, and forget to do this or that or watch for this or that.  Asking
about hobbies is a great idea (I think I'll incorporate that in my
interviews) as certain hobbies will definitely require manual dexterity and
attention to details.

As for references for collection management:
1. Storage of Natural History Collections: Ideas and Practical Solutions,
edited by C.L. Rose and A.R. de Torres; available from the Society for the
Preservation of Natural History Collections
2. Manual of Curatorship: A Guide to Museum Practice, edited by J.M.A.
Thompson, published by Butterworth Heinemann but I believe it's available
from the American Association of Museums
3. Managing the Moder Herbarium: An Interdisciplinary Approach, edited by
D.A. Metsger and S.C. Byers; also available for the Society for the
Preservation of Natural History Collections

Cheers,
Anita

On Tue, Mar 11, 2014 at 9:40 AM, Heather Lerner <hlerner at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Kevin, Mariko, Barbara, Dave, John, Andy, Sarah, Ellen, and others,
>
> Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I've gotten some great references
> from this list so far and some syllabi--I can't thank you enough!! I'm sure
> my course will be much improved this year thanks to the insight from this
> list! Some of the responses came directly to me, so I'm copying some links
> below for anyone else who is interested.
>
> I was thinking that the course would be 50/50 in terms of readings, with
> half of the readings focusing on topics in collections care (permits, IPM,
> deterioration etc.) and half of the readings from research papers. They'll
> also have a three-hour lab in which they'll be in the collections working
> with Specify, prepping specimens, testing fluids, cleaning specimens etc.
> My reasoning with the 50/50 split was that most of my students are going on
> in academia or research, so I want them to be aware of the ways specimens
> can help them answer questions. I also want to get them experience reading
> more papers and discussing them. And, selfishly, I enjoy reading papers
> about great museum research!
>
> They'll have a salvage requirement in which they aim to find at least 5
> specimens to contribute to the collections (they each will get a road and
> series of windows to walk each week so the campus area is covered well each
> day). Some years we actively collect salamanders so they've also addressed
> the reality of taking an animal's life for a collection.
>
> Finally, a number of curators at FMNH, UMMZ, and NMNH have done skype
> interviews with the classes in which students learn that the same issues
> are largely present in collections around the country, regardless of size
> of the institution/collections.
>
> Please contact me if you have more ideas for me. I am not teaching the
> class until this fall, so I still have time to incorporate more of your
> great ideas!
>
> Thanks again,
>  Heather
>
> Here are some links:
>
> paper on the changing definition of the biological voucher specimen:
>
>
> https://www.academia.edu/245195/The_changing_significance_and_definition_of_the_biological_voucher
>
>
> Link to: Gardner et al. (2009) Shifting latitudinal clines in avian body
> size correlate with global warming in Australian passerines. Proc R Soc. B.
> 276(1674: )3845-3852
> http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/276/1674/3845.full
>
> Also recommended Van Buskirk et al 2010) Declining body sizes in North
> American birds associated with climate change. Oikos 119(6)1047-1055
> *http://www.researchgate.net/publication/227668742_Declining_body_sizes_in_North_American_birds_associated_with_climate_change/file/3deec51991002edc72.pdf
> <http://www.researchgate.net/publication/227668742_Declining_body_sizes_in_North_American_birds_associated_with_climate_change/file/3deec51991002edc72.pdf>*
>  <http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/276/1674/3845.full>
>
> Simmons, J.E. and Y. Muñoz-Saba.  2006.  The future of collections
> management:  an approach to collections management training for developing
> countries.  *Collection Forum*, 20(1-2):83-94.
> http://www.spnhc.org/media/assets/cofo_2006_V20N172.pdf
>
> Simmons, J.E., and Y. Muñoz-Saba. 2003. The theoretical bases of
> collections management. *Collection Forum* 18(1-2):38-49.
> http://www.magsq.com.au/_dbase_upl/john%20simmonds%20paper.pdf
>
> Unfortunately, there is still not a good textbook on natural history
> collections management available in English, although Yaneth and I have
> published one in Spanish (we are currently working on a new edition, and
> may do an English version as well), which you can download for free here:
>
> http://www.ibiologia.unam.mx/pdf/directorio/c/cervantes/clases/sistem/Cuidado_Manejo_y_Conservacion_de_las_Colecciones_Biologicas.pdf
>
> I agree wholeheartedly and I think it is growing more and more important
> to focus on preservation not only of the specimens themselves but their
> associated data. In my opinion the easiest way to preserve specimen data,
> and share it with the community of both present and future scientists, is
> to make it digital. I attached an article which I wrote that is currently
> in press or I would provide you a link to the published version. This
> article discusses the importance of preservation, but more importantly the
> tools for implementing preservation strategies. I hope you find it
> insightful. Below is an excerpt from this article which pertains directly
> to this conversation thread. I should mention that EGEMS is a digital
> record-keeping system for geological materials. More information on EGEMS
> can be found at www.egemsinfo.com  or contact Sarah Timm stimm10 at gmail.com
>
> "In addition to the more commonly known materials (Rocks, Minerals,
> Fossils) EGEMS also has the capability to store information for other
> materials such as Research Products. Research Products are geological
> materials that can be used for future research purposes or were derived
> from pre-existing research projects. Examples include: thin sections
> (polished or covered), billets, experimental powers, synthesized materials,
> etc. When information for these are fully filled in they act as a recipe
> that can be re-created in the future (Figure 10). Most of the fields for
> Research Products in EGEMS are new to digital record keeping systems
> everywhere."--contact
>
> On Fri, Mar 7, 2014 at 3:44 PM, Kevin Winker <kevin.winker at alaska.edu>wrote:
>
>> Hi, Heather. Sounds like an interesting course. Personally, I'd flip the
>> reading around to emphasize collections development and collections care
>> rather than collections from the perspective of researchers. The latter can
>> artificially narrow perceptions of collections' myriad values (i.e., more
>> than what is on the table needs to be incorporated into the collection).
>> I'd echo many of the other responses, especially those related to manual
>> (dis)abilities, but also emphasize the importance of instilling a vision
>> and passionate appreciation for the building of these critical research
>> infrastructure resources. Everyone can and should be involved.
>>
>> Best, K.
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 6, 2014 at 10:29 AM, Heather Lerner <hlerner at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> I have the wonderful opportunity to be the director at the Joseph Moore
>>> Museum at Earlham College. With that position, I get to teach one course
>>> per year in "Museum Studies." My goals with the course are to first train
>>> students in the most useful skills they will need to go on as collections
>>> managers or curators or researchers who use collections, and second, for
>>> students who may never work in/for a museum in the future, to convince
>>> them
>>> of the importance of biological collections so that they will be educated
>>> lifelong museum advocates.
>>>
>>> Here is where I ask for *your input:*
>>> (1) what are the *skills *you want incoming collections manager, graduate
>>> students or curators to have?
>>>
>>> (2) we will read an article each week in which someone has published
>>> their
>>> research using specimens/collections as a primary source of
>>> information/data. For example, ancient DNA, isotope, morphological
>>> studies.
>>> What are some of the best *examples of collections-based research* you
>>> thinkI should include?
>>>
>>> Thanks for your input,
>>>
>>> Heather
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Heather
>>>
>>> *******************************************
>>> Heather R. L. Lerner, Ph.D., M.S.
>>> Joseph Moore Museum <http://earlham.edu/jmm> Director
>>> Assistant Professor of Biology
>>> Earlham College
>>> 801 National Road West
>>> Richmond IN 47374
>>>
>>> *******************************************
>>> Google Voice: 949-GENOMES
>>> Email: hlerner at gmail.com
>>> http://heatherlerner.com/
>>> *******************************************
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Nhcoll-l mailing list
>>> Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
>>> http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
>>> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
>>> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
>>> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
>>> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Kevin Winker
>> University of Alaska Museum
>> 907 Yukon Drive
>> Fairbanks, AK 99775
>>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Heather
>
> *******************************************
> Heather R. L. Lerner, Ph.D., M.S.
> Joseph Moore Museum <http://earlham.edu/jmm> Director
> Assistant Professor of Biology
> Earlham College
> 801 National Road West
> Richmond IN 47374
>
> *******************************************
> Google Voice: 949-GENOMES
> Email: hlerner at gmail.com
> http://heatherlerner.com/
> *******************************************
>
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> Nhcoll-l mailing list
> Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l
>
> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
>
>

-- 
__________
Anita F. Cholewa, Ph.D.
Curator of the UM Herbarium (MIN)
   and Acting Curator of Lichens
J.F. Bell Museum of Natural History
University of Minnesota
1445 Gortner Ave
ST PAUL MN 55108-1095

campus mail code: 6022
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