The Pain of Ownership

Dealing with the accessioning of insect collections: the pros, cons, and

if entomological collections are a special case.

You don’t own

me!!...Yet?

Museums “Museums make their unique contribution to

the public by collecting, preserving and interpreting the things of this world.

Historically, they have owned and used natural objects, living and nonliving, and all

manner of human artifacts to advance knowledge and nourish the human spirit.” –

American Alliance of Museums

Synopsis What exactly is a “museum”, and who

decides

Accessioning versus cataloging versus ownership

What is so special about entomology collections

How can we mesh the specific needs of entomology collections with the expectations and responsibilities of a museum Pros and Cons, suggestions

Why Museums Finding fiscal support of collection

infrastructure and maintenance continues to be a challenge

Pressure to quantify and audit the “value” of a collection to granting agencies, general public.

When a collection becomes part of a “museum”, increased advocacy and visibility, but also need for accountability

Virtual Museum

Interactive

Museum

Borrow/Display

Hold/own and

Display

Collection only

Museums

Hold/own and

Display

Collection only

Information only Specimens/objects onlyLevel of Interpretation

Museum vs. Collection

American Alliance of Museums certification.

Museum Accreditation

Individualistic per museum Each museum sets their own rules, but its up

to them to maintain them to have accreditation.

Overall goal: accountability Written documentation of rules, best practices,

standards

Important that your collection’s needs and voices are heard in establishment of best practices and standards.

All part of greater effort for transparency in

where, when and how we got our objects

Accessioning Accessioning is not the act of obtaining

ownership, but the documentation of where, when, and how we got the material. Did you have the proper permits? Other

agreements?

Ownership: legal agreements with the donors releasing all rights to the material, such as Deed of Gifts Deed of Gifts are not standardized, vary by

stateThey are mine, all mine!!

Accessioning Mainly important for items in museums with

high commercial value, ethical complications, endangered species, etc. Art, Antiquities

Human remains (NAGPRA)

Fossils (dinosaurs, etc.)

Vertebrate groups, botanical groups

If you are part of a museum with multiple departments with different needs, have to match the standards set for all

Cataloging The “what we have” effort of museums

Effort to quantify the holdings, both for internal and external transparency, grants, etc.

Tied to accessioning How did we get our material to catalog?

All specimens in the collection have to have both sets of data accounted for and processed

Accession!!Catalog!!

Accessioning Every specimen has to be accessioned

1. Accession as you catalog

2. Catalog everything, then retro-accession

3. Accession as you get new material, hold off on the rest until you catalog the existing material

If a specimen is missing/broken/damaged, it has to be de-accessioned before it is thrown away Prove you know what happened to it

Ownership When we accession and “own” a specimen, we

own the physical specimen, not the information associated with it

Databasing efforts, digitization efforts make information free and available to the public Portal out our data to GBIF

Images of specimens: another story If museum has digital collections from original

sources in other collections and considers them “owned” by the museum, gets tricky with digital products with entomology too.

Entomological Collections

Large: some of the largest natural history collections both in size and scope

Prolific: Most academic institutions have entomological collections (especially land-grand universities)

Most of us don’t have completely cataloged or digitized collections

Suggestions If your institution is considering becoming a

formal museum and getting accreditation: Determine how you are going to deal

with bulk material and lots.

Suggestions How much effort are you going to place on

retroactive accessions? What is your collection’s focus?

Field and real-time specimen research?

Historical information?

Endangered Species?

Suggestions Articulate the level of processing time

needed in field-collection acquisitions

Processing specimens can take weeks, months, years

Incoming units may change from finished product (lots of alcohol material to pinned series, sleeved, etc.)

Sooner you articulate the amount of time it takes, the less you’ll be bugged by the registrar/conservator about why your accessions aren’t done yet

Also depends on how much information the registrar needs.

The earlier you can get involved, the easier it will be to

implement standards.

MUCH harder to try to fit in with established rules, especially

with large collections.

Pros Being part of a larger museum helps with

advocacy of your specific collection needs and infrastructure

Increases attractiveness for federal funding by aligning with museum standards and best practicesAccessioning and cataloging efforts will benefit research programs in the long run.

- sets up a good track record for future donations

Cons Increased paperwork and bureaucracy

Possible redundancy of information for both cataloging and accessioning Advocate for the accessioning system to be

able to import your cataloging efforts early on

De-accessioning of material that may or may not be worth the time

Discussion Following talks today.

Thank you: Lindsay Palaima, SNOMNH Registrar

Dr. John Oswald of the TAMUIC collection for perspective of a University collection

Entomological Collections Network