[NHCOLL-L:4005] Request for subject-specific listserver info, & online lists of natural history collections

[Scott LaGreca]

Dear colleagues,
 
I'm currently preparing an IMLS (Institute for Museum & Library
Services) grant proposal for databasing and re-housing all of our
natural history collections. (c. 15,000 specimens, total). Our
collections include almost all groups of organisms, as well as minerals;
the majority are shells (c. 7,500 specimens) and minerals (c. 3,500
specimens).
 
As part of my proposal I'm planning to "get the word out" to the
scientific community about our natural history collections here. The
question I need to answer in this proposal is: How do I do this? I need
to have some sort of idea, for the purposes of the grant proposal.
 
The two ideas I've come up with are:
 
1. Send emails to subject-specific listservers. For example, I know that
lichenologists have a listserver called "lichens-l" that one can
subscribe to. I'm sure there are others. 
 
Can any of you please send me information about mollusk-specific
listservers? Mineralogy-specific listservers? other botany-specific
listservers? entomology-specific listservers? Bird-specific listservers?
Etc. 
 
(I believe it would strengthen my grant proposal if I can list some of
the listservers, by name, in our proposal)
 
2. List our museum on websites where other natural history collections
are listed. For example, I know that, for botanists, there is a
searchable, online "Index Herbariorum" (http://sweetgum.nybg.org/ih/).
Do similar online (or paper!) resources exist for mollusk collections?
Mineral collections? Insect collections? Bird collections? 
 
(I'd also like to list a few of these resources/lists, by name, in our
proposal).
 
Please note that placing all of our specimen records online is *not*
part of our project plan, at this stage. I realize that posting records
online is the very best way to advertise a museum's holdings--but it's
beyond the scope of our project. (We're hoping to put all of our
specimen records online sometime in the future...).
 
So, in sum, I suppose what I'm asking for is: 
What's the best way to "get the word out" to all the malacologists,
mineralogists, botanists, entomologists, etc., about our holdings here
at our little museum?--short of listing all of our specimen records on
our institutional website. I believe that (1) and (2) above are the best
ways--are there others?
 
Thanks to all of you in advance for any ideas/ information you can send
my way.

Sincerely yours,
 
Scott

Scott LaGreca, PhD 
Natural Science Coordinator 
Berkshire Museum 
39 South Street 
Pittsfield, MA  01201  USA 
TEL 413-443-7171, ext. 17 
FAX 413-443-2135 
slagreca at berkshiremuseum.org <mailto:slagreca at berkshiremuseum.org
<blocked::mailto:slagreca at berkshiremuseum.org> > 

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