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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><b>Managing Future
Sustainability: Preparing Collections for an Uncertain Future<span></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I am putting
together a proposal for next year’s SPNHC meeting in Edinburgh (04-10 June
2022) to consider ways to sustainably manage natural history collections for
the long-term future with limited resources. I am looking for people who would
like to contribute to this session. <span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Most of us
are already dealing with ever-growing collections and limited collections care
resources while facing an uncertain future due to climate change. How can we cope
with these challenges while still providing quality collections care? A few
examples:<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">--Collection
growth is rarely linked to resource (time, space, and personnel) availability. How
can the principles of “Active Collections” (<a href="http://www.activecollections.org/" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline">http://www.activecollections.org/</a>)
be applied to natural history?<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">--Densely packing
cabinets and shelves may solve a space issue, but dense storage negatively
impacts the ability to monitor specimen condition—is there a better solution?<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">--Databases
were designed to make collection information available, not to improve
collection management. How can we redesign databases for comprehensive collection
management?<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">--What are
the best parameters for a sustainable collection storage environment as we
undergo climate change?<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">--Currently
available collection storage furniture is designed for old collection storage
arrays—how can we redesign storage furniture to make it more efficient?<span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">If you are
concerned about these or related issues and would like to participate in this
session, please send me an email (<a href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a>) outlining your proposed contribution. The
deadline for submission of the formal session proposal is 22 October 2021.<span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">--John</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><br><span></span></p>
</div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">John E. Simmons<br>Writer and Museum Consultant</span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Museologica<br><i>and</i><br>Associate Curator of Collections<br>Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br>Penn State University<br><i>and</i><br>Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitologia<br>Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima</span></font><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>