[NHCOLL-L:2503] Conditions reporting for fluid collections

[Chris Wolfe]

Good morning - 

I am a fairly new collections manager in an natural history museum that is
fortunate to have been able hire a conservator recently.  Our conservator
would like all of our departments to begin completing a conditions report
for all objects/specimens before sending out a loan and after receiving a
loan.  She has provided some general guidelines about biological specimens
that are particularly relevant to skin and skeletal preparations, but as far
as I can tell, there are fewer guidelines specific to fluid collections.
For our herpetology specimens, it seems obvious to me that I can easily
document specimen breakage (e.g., broken tail on a lizard) and whether a
specimen has been dissected, but I am curious to see how other collection
managers for fluid collections document conditions for their specimens.

I would appreciate any assistance, suggestions, and insights you might have
on:

 - When you do conditions reporting for your specimens?
 - What factors do you examine when you do a conditions report?
 - Do you have a report format you might be willing to share?
 - Anything else you think is relevant regarding conditions reporting for
fluid or herpetological collections.

Thank you all very much!

Chris

                   
Christina A. Wolfe 
Collection Manager, Herpetology
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
University of Oklahoma
2401 Chautauqua Avenue
Norman, OK 73026

405.325.7771
405.325.7699 (fax)
www.snomnh.ou.edu

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