Manual Implementation & �Collection Management & Curation Course��Discussion Forum 9�Collection storage and organisation�24 May 2022

Welcome

Prof Michelle Hamer

NSCF Project Lead

Discussion Forum guidelines for engagement

Keep your contributions helpful and considerate of the host and other participants

Chat box:

• Say hello! Let us know which institution you are from
• Add questions regarding the panelist presentations. The panelists will be answering some of your questions live at the end of their presentations.

​

We will have +- 1 hour dedicated to discussions… Please feel free to start a discussion and actively engage in discussions!

​

Summary of main points

1. Standards for storage

• storage room – structurally sound, windows and doors closed and well sealed, dark, air ventilation, stable temperature and humidity, data loggers, appropriate fire prevention, detection and suppression, secured.
• storage infrastructure – metal cabinets with well sealed doors, metal shelves that are sturdy, not overloaded, with barrier; drawers that open smoothly.
• storage containers - boxes, lining – all archival quality paper / materials; cushioning for specimens; glass for wet collections with polypropolene screw on lids (no other plastics), fibreglass or stainless steel for large specimens.

​

​

Summary of main points

​

2. Collection organisation

• Policy on collection organisation
• Standards – description of how the collection is organised, description of how location of specimens in collection is documented
• Procedures / workflows for permanently moving a specimen to another location in the collection and documenting this. Perhaps also integrating new specimens into the collection.

​

​

• Of the 98 collections assessed, 48 were rated as high risk, and 3 at extreme risk, based on storage environment.
• 8 were considered high risk when both staffing and environmental risks were considered.

2011 report

What we will cover today

• Some examples of storage arrangements and collection organisation (Afribugs, Skukuza reference collection, EL Museum birds, SANBI Compton Herbarium)
• Q & A
• Assignment guidelines / template for storage / organisation of collection
• Q & A

East London Museum Bird Collection: �Phil Whittington

Skukuza Reference Collection�Nikisha Singh

Collection storage & organisation: Overview

​

• The wet collection (mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates) are stored in glass jars/glass Consol jars. Majority of the jars are sealed with plastic lids. Some of the larger mammal specimens need to be moved into new containers/tanks as the older ones have deteriorated (glue seal has deteriorated).
• A portion of the jars are displayed in the museum. They are housed in wooden cabinets that have glass shelving. The remainder of the specimens are distributed in two storerooms. The jars have been placed on steel shelving. However, the shelving does lack restraining bars which do need to be incorporated.
• The storerooms are kept dark at all times unless in use. Windows and doors are kept closed at all times – storeroom and museum.

Skukuza Biological Reference Collection�Collection storage & organisation�

The wet collection:

• Glass jars – steel shelving – two storage rooms.
• Glass jars – wooden cabinets with glass shelving – Museum.

​

• The mammal and bird skins are sealed in industrial plastic and have been placed in wooden drawers. It would be beneficial to add lining to the drawers.
• The insect specimens have been pinned using steel pins. They are stored in wooden drawers that have a glass lid.
• The herbarium sheets are kept in specimen and genus folders. The folders are kept in pigeon holes in steel cabinets that seal well.

​

The dry collection:

• Mammal and bird skins – sealed in industrial plastic – wooden drawers.
• Insect specimens – Glass casing – wooden drawers.

The Herbarium collection:

• Herbarium sheets placed in specimen folders – genus folders – pigeon holes in steel cabinets.

Afribugs wet collection: Daniella Molenaar

​

Myrmecological pinned collection

Image C

Image B

Image A

Image D

Image F

Image E

Image G

Image H

Collection Storage and Organisation��Compton Herbarium

Anri Marais

Compton Herbarium’s collection consists mainly of dried plant specimens, but is also home to DNA material, leaf material, seeds, wood samples, a collection of maps, historical books and botanical art.

Entrance to the herbarium & metal cabinets.

Majority of wood cabinets now replaced with metal ones. Below: metal cabinet with mounted specimens.

Only a few wooden cabinets with specimens and wood samples in the South African Museum

Bottom images: Wood samples collection

Leaf material collection stored in freezers

DNA samples stored in -80°C freezer

Seeds collection

Maps collection

Storing unprocessed specimens

Dryer with pressed plant material

Chest freezers used for decontaminating all incoming parcels/ loans/ gifts/ donations/ collected materials before opening.

NB: All material in chest freezers and dryer are logged in a register to track and record and to prevent loss of materials.

Fire suppression system

Smoke detector

Fire suppression system continued

Gas cylinders connected to entire system/pipes throughout the herbarium

Thank you.

Assignment 9 / implementation of the Manual

Option 1: Assessment of the current storage for a collection

​

• Use the 10 agents of deterioration
• And the 5 layers of enclosure
• Complete the template:
• what have you got?
• what is missing according to the standards? Could colour code according to whether its correct standard or not.

The 10 agents that can cause deterioration and loss to collection objects. �With permission. © Copyright is owned by ICCROM and the Government of Canada, Canadian Conservation Institute, 2016,

Collection care – addressing the 10 agents of deterioration and loss

Which of the agents can be addressed by collection organisation?

Multi-layered protection of an object �Source: National Park Service. Museum Handbook, Part I (2012)�

Option 2: Organisation of the collection - description

• What system is used for organising the collection? Include a description of the system and what it means for the collection.
• Building – is the whole collection in one building?
• Room – which room/s? if more than one how is the collection split?
• Shelving / cabinets – how are these arranged and numbered?
• Can include layout drawings, taxon tables – anything that would explain to others how the collection is organised.

​

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

END

Thank you for attending our discussion forum...

Collection Storage and Organisation

​

You are welcome to leave your comments/suggestions on the NSCF YouTube Channel or Facebook page

​

​