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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">A modest counter proposal: I gather from the
</span>NCB Naturalis website that the organization portrays itself as a collections-oriented institution, one that exhibits collections for the general public to see. Why, then, should the processing of collections be outsourced and thus hidden that much further
from public view? I’d suggest to management turning the processing of specimens into a public program, make it a visible part of the institution’s fundamental services to the public. NCB Naturalis claims it is helping to train biodiversity experts for the
future; what better way than exhibit the entire process for the public. The crowd sourcing of the transcription of entomology data through the efforts of Paul Flemons and his team in Australia has obviously been very successful. Why not fully realize this
approach to all aspects collections management?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">James<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">James M. Bryant<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">Curator of Natural History<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">Museum Department, City of Riverside<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">3580 Mission Inn Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">Riverside, CA 92501<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">(951) 826-5273<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">(951) 369-4970 FAX<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D">jbryant@riversideca.gov</span><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>O'Brien, Mark<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 07, 2012 8:36 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Nhcoll-l] outsourcing specimen prep<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">My view on this is – we expect that any museum uses well-trained people that have a vested interest in doing things according to the accepted standards of whatever type of taxonomic group they work on. Museums
also have a responsibility for documenting the chain of custody and permit process. Yes, there are many tasks that can be done by marginally-trained people, but they are done under the supervision of a curator or collection manager. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">I would ask the bean-counters if they would have MacDonald’s cater a state dinner.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Mark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Mark F. O'Brien, Collection Manager<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Insect Division, Museum of Zoology<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">The University of Michigan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">1109 Geddes Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">(734)-647-2199<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">-------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Desjardins, R.B.<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 07, 2012 8:00 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] outsourcing specimen prep<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello all;<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Upper management at my institute would like to being outsourcing all specimen preparation: study skins of vertebrates, spirits for herps and fish, paleo and geo, inverts, everything (except plants, maybe) to save money. I was curious
if any other institutes has done this or has experience with anything like this? Personally, I think it is a bad idea (and it seems most folks here agree) but I would love to know if anyone is trying this.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Becky Desjardins<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">NCB Naturalis<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leiden, Netherlands<o:p></o:p></p>
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