[Nhcoll-l] no data specimens

[Catherine Early (she/her)]

Hello all,

I have a two-part question today:

1) Is there any *scientific* value to tanned hides with no data? We have
many large mammal hides that were purchased from fur suppliers in the
1970's that take up a lot of room but lack data. We might keep one of each
species for identification, but otherwise, they do not belong in a
scientific collection (where we are constantly running out of space),
correct?

2) Have any of your institutions developed protocols for deaccessioning no
data specimens into the hands of private citizens? We will prioritize
giving no data (former) specimens to education centers, but there is a
limited need for no data shell collections that previous curators accepted
from donors, so we will likely need to look elsewhere. We know that we
would be limited in what we could give to private citizens by permit
restrictions for owning wildlife parts, but we're also very concerned with
devaluing public opinions of specimens by creating the impression that
specimens can just be given away. I would love to hear any language or
agreements you've developed to make it clear why items are deaccessioned
and how they differ from scientific specimens.

Thanks,
Catherine

<https://www.smm.org/>

*Catherine M. Early, PhD*

she/her

*Barbara Brown Chair of Ornithology*

e: cearly at smm.org

https://catherineearly.wixsite.com/home

We envision a world where everyone has the power to use science to make
lives better,
and we are committed to using STEM as a tool to advocate for justice and
equity.
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