<div dir="ltr"><font face="times new roman, serif" size="3">Dear Colleagues,</font><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><font face="times new roman, serif"><br>
</font></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><font face="times new roman, serif"><span style="font-size:12pt">The products of high pressure/temperature experiments represent an enormous investment of time and resources. Despite this, there is no consistent process for archiving, or even preserving, these materials and many experimental charges have been lost or destroyed. This is particularly unfortunate because most of these experimental materials have never been analyzed by up-to-date techniques. Even recent experimental products lack, for example, trace element data that is now routinely collected (e.g. via ICP-MS) on many geological samples. </span><br>
</font></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-size:12pt"><font face="times new roman, serif"><br></font></span></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><font size="3" face="times new roman, serif">This is an excerpt from the abstract for a presentation I will be giving at Southeastern GSA this April at Virginia Tech. I will be discussing a potential solution to this problem which here at the Virginia Museum of Natural History we have implemented successfully.</font></div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><font size="3" face="times new roman, serif"><br></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><font size="3" face="times new roman, serif">Given that I have heard many unfortunate stories of research materials being lost or thrown away, as a community, </font><span style="font-family:'times new roman',serif;font-size:medium">I was hoping</span><span style="font-family:'times new roman',serif;font-size:medium"> </span><span style="font-family:'times new roman',serif;font-size:medium">you could help me remember some specifics so during my presentation I can share some real examples. <u><b>If you know of any research materials (billets, thin sections, polished sections, synthesized specimens or experimental charges or powders) that have been seriously neglected or thrown away for any reason please let me know</b>.</u> I will be happy to exclude names for privacy but size of the collection and type of materials is necessary to convey my point. </span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><font size="3" face="times new roman, serif"><br></font></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><font size="3" face="times new roman, serif">Also, if you can make it to Southeast GSA this year I invite you to join myself, Llyn Sharp, and Dr. Jim Beard for our session (information is below) and to bring your own experiences to share after the session during our concluding discussion. </font></div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-size:medium"><font face="times new roman, serif"><br></font></span></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-size:medium"><font face="times new roman, serif">Thank you and apologies for any cross-postings,</font></span></div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-size:medium"><font face="times new roman, serif">~Sarah Timm</font></span></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:medium"><br>
</span></div><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:medium"><img src="cid:ii_144d5e8dc827fb30" alt="Inline image 1" class=""></span></div>
<br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Monotype Corsiva';FONT-SIZE:18pt">Sarah Timm</span><br><br><i><font style="FONT-FAMILY:garamond,serif" size="4">
<p style="LINE-HEIGHT:normal;MARGIN:0in 0in 7.5pt"><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Garamond','serif';FONT-SIZE:13.5pt">Geological Collections & Database Specialist, <span style="FONT-FAMILY:'Garamond','serif';FONT-SIZE:13.5pt">Virginia Museum of Natural History</span><br>
<span>MS in Geosciences with Focus on Geological Collections Management<br>Phone: 845-774-9994</span></span></i></p></font></i>
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