[Nhcoll-l] risks to study skins from thermal change, and time spent out of cabinetry

[Thomas Labedz]

Tanya
My rule is that it is never okay to leave a museum specimen outside of a protective case overnight unless it normally does not reside in a protective case (e.g., whole body taxidermy Nile Lechwe). The reason is I don't want anyone to get into the mindset that leaving something out is okay. Overnight turns into a couple of days turns into a week, etc. A specimen left out is exposed unnecessarily to risks. Accidental damage from leaking roof, sprinkler water or smoke and flames from fire, insects or other pests not commonly seen during working hours, additional exposure to UV from lights, custodians or others, risk of theft, etc. Essentially every working area of our collections has a "holding case" present to be temporary housing for specimens removed from main collections for some purpose. You might look into the additional cost of a case in the digitizing room. I foresee your digitization crew will create a work rhythm reducing the backlog of specimens awaiting imaging and you'll not need to have specimens sitting exposed for very long during the day or overnight.
Envious of your planning a new building!
Thomas

Thomas E. Labedz (Mr.), Collections Manager
Division of Zoology and Division of Botany
University of Nebraska State Museum
Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
www.museum.unl.edu<http://www.museum.unl.edu>



From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Haff, Tonya (NCMI, Crace)
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2021 9:42 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] risks to study skins from thermal change, and time spent out of cabinetry

Non-NU Email
________________________________
Hello everyone,

I have a few questions regarding handling specimens for digitisation. We are currently planning a new building (sorry I know I've said that a few times now!), and are planning to have the skin and insect vaults kept at 16C (to reduce pest risk). Specimens will be kept in museum grade cabinetry inside the vaults. The curation spaces will be at about 22C.

I have heard vague concerns that the temperature differential between the vaults and the curation space could lead to condensation on the specimens. I was wondering if any of you could speak to whether or not this is something we should worry about? Please note we are in a very dry climate.

In part because of the concern about temperature differentials, and in part to reduce the work of putting specimens away at the end of each day while they are being digitised, it has been asked if specimens could be left out  in the digitisation space, overnight or for a few days. This is a 'clean' zone (no food, high building hygiene standards, no specimens  that have not been preventatively frozen for pests). One option would be to keep specimens out of the vaults, but in sealed cabinetry overnight, and another would simply to be leave them in a secured room on the digitisation benches.

I do have thoughts about this, but am trying to be neutral, and I would love to hear if any of you have opinions or experience these topics.  If you have other thoughts as to how to increase the digitisation team's efficiency while reducing risk to specimens I would also love to hear it.

Thanks so much!

Cheers,

Tonya
---------------------------------------------------------
Dr Tonya Haff
Collection Manager
Australian National Wildlife Collection
National Research Collections Australia, CSIRO
Canberra, Australia
Phone: (+61) 02 6242 1566 (office)
(+61) 0419 569 109 (mobile)

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