[Nhcoll-l] Problematic Catalog Numbers

Mon Aug 11 17:52:27 EDT 2025

Hi Mackenzie,

I have had a similar issue both where I work now and at other
facilities, so you are definitely not alone. I would recommend looking at
your collection policy and/or protocols first to see if there is anything
established there. For us, what I have been doing is finishing the
inventory before I tackle the problem specimens. I found that in some
cases, multiple specimens were assigned the same number, probably from
something similar to your situation happening. If it is double-numbered, I
use the information that we have to see which specimen the database record
corresponds with. Then I can give the others that do not match a new number
and proceed with our accessioning protocols.

For those that had a number assigned and are not in the database, I have
been treating them as backlog specimens and entering them into the system
with the handwritten assigned number. We have a staff notes field in our
database where I note the information you are describing in case I find
something later on. Additionally, at the end of the inventory, I will see
if any of the "missing" specimens' information matches any unnumbered
specimens I have. If the data matches, then I reconnect the number with the
specimen, and again note my findings. For any of the remaining "missing"
specimens, our policy states we will deaccession them if they are not found
after 10 years.

Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have more questions
about your situation or what I described above.

Best,

*Sariah Rushing*

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Natural History Collections Specialist

Lindsay Wildlife Experience

*Celebrating 70 Years Wild!*

925-627-2937 | srushing at lindsaywildlife.org

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On Mon, Aug 11, 2025 at 2:03 PM Kirchner-Smith, Mackenzie <
Mackenzie.Kirchner-Smith at sbcm.sbcounty.gov> wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> Thank you to everyone who replied to my previous question about storing
> nests.
>
>
>
> Now I am looking for some advice on a problem I have encountered with the
> numbers of our bird specimen collection. I am working through an inventory
> of everything we have right now, including an inventory of all the
> unprepared specimens in our freezers. In doing the freezer inventory, we
> found that there are specimens in the freezer that were never prepared but
> were given catalog numbers before preparation. I have never encountered
> this being done before, so I have no idea how common or uncommon it may be.
> I do however recognize the issues with such a protocol, as we used to have
> an additional freezer (prior to my starting at this institution) that
> failed and was not noticed to have failed until everything inside had
> rotted. I have no idea if an inventory of what was lost was taken before it
> was tossed, or whether unprepared specimens with catalog numbers were lost
> when this occurred, but based on what was found in the other freezers I
> suspect some were.
>
>
>
> Has anyone else encountered this kind if scenario and have some kind of
> protocol for dealing with the aftermath? Without any notes about what
> specimens remained unprepared I suspect I may never be able to determine
> which were lost, but the current plan is to label anything not found at the
> end of the inventory as ‘missing’ in the database. I have also found some
> notes written in the margins of the catalog pages saying things like “285
> to be prepared” but no additional information.
>
>
>
> Any advice or insight is appreciated. Or even just hearing that my
> situation isn’t completely unique!
>
>
>
> Thank you!
>
>
>
> - Mackenzie
>
>
>
>
>
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> *Dr. Mackenzie Kirchner**, she/her*
>
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>
> *San Bernardino County Museum*
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