[Nhcoll-l] Definition of "Backlog"

[Shoobs, Nate]

Hey Sarah,
We consider “backlog” to be anything that is catalogable, and also donations / holdings which are currently unassessed (i.e. could contain material we might want to catalog).

I don’t consider all material that is held but is not catalogable to be part of the backlog. For example, we have a sizeable collection of duplicates (culls from larger catalogued lots, material having too-similar time/place/ID to existing catalogued material)  that we use for education and exchange (we don’t bother to maintain a database of this material like some collections do, i.e. a numbered teaching collection). These are stored near the backlog material but are explicitly not to be catalogued.
We don’t have a formal accessioning process or registrar, but we do catalogue material in 3 “stages”. The first stage is determining whether material is, at a base level, sufficiently interesting/useful to catalogue and within scope. Stage 2 is entering locality and collecting event information for the material into our Specify 7 database, as well as noting the higher taxa represented. The 3rd and final stage is actually identifying and cataloguing material. Most of our backlog has been through “stage 1”, and “stage 2” and we actually serve up data on that online.<https://invertebrates.osu.edu/specify/query/106/> When material from a given place is interesting to someone, we can catalogue it rapidly (in about 3 clicks) once it is identified.

Our backlog is stored in standard size bankers boxes on steel shelving in the main collection gallery, and we track the size of backlog by the number of boxes. Obviously the number of lots in a box varies considerably, but keeping track of it by volume is pretty convenient for planning purposes and clearly communicable to nonspecialists like higher up administrators and building ops folks.

Hope this is helpful!
-Nate
--
[The Ohio State University]
Nathaniel F. Shoobs
Curator of Mollusks
College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
Museum of Biological Diversity, 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212
614-688-1342 (Office)
mbd.osu.edu<http://mbd.osu.edu>

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Sarah K. Huber <skhuber at vims.edu>
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 10:08 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Definition of "Backlog"
I realize that this is a very nebulous area and that there is no “right” definition, but I am curious how your institution defines the backlog - specifically as it pertains to uncatalogued material. I have been asked to provide an

I realize that this is a very nebulous area and that there is no “right” definition, but I am curious how your institution defines the backlog - specifically as it pertains to uncatalogued material. I have been asked to provide an estimate of our uncatalogued backlog, and I’m getting into the weeds of how to define our backlog.

Thank you,
Sarah

Sarah K. Huber, Ph.D. (she/her)
Curatorial Associate, Nunnally Ichthyology Collection
Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS
William & Mary
Office: 804-684-7104
skhuber at vims.edu<mailto:skhuber at vims.edu> | http://www.vims.edu/research/facilities/fishcollection/index.php<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.vims.edu/research/facilities/fishcollection/index.php__;!!KGKeukY!yu9GdS9PMfBLNtEj50Ue10FbsBYOiMx0wK7bUuZcRxcyuvdlqJPt4IPKWSVhEEN099em3xVKURZQlFBrcg$>
PO Box 1346 | 1370 Greate Rd., Gloucester Point, VA 23062

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