GUIDELINES FOR THE CURATION OF GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

locks of rock, for later laboratory treatment, can be sent by surface transport
wrapped in sacking, having first removed sharp corners or' spikes of rock most
likely to cut the sacking. Label and number each block within a consignment both
on the block and the wrapping.
There is no entirely sure way of transporting material over long distances.
Transport by hand is probably the safest, and might be considered as the only
way of sending delicate or type specimens to another institution. Sheets of foam
rubber, cut to fit into a rigid small case, protect specimens well, provided they are
packed firmly within their own containers (Silicified fossils, see C3.7.5). The
increasing number of courier or security services might be considered for
important material since there is a poor record of loss or damage to parcels in the
postal services of some countries. The merits of recorded and registerd postal
services are questioned since the monetary value of a specimen, stated on the
parcel, may render it at greater risk from theft, but an insurance value, based
upon a realistic costing of the acquisition of a similar specimen may go some way
towards recollecting or purchasing a replacement .topotypic specimen (see
B4.4.8.3). Recorded delivery can provide a useful check on the arrival of
postings.
The transport of large and heavy specimens by road, rail and sea requires
specialised packing techniques to ensure their safety.
PERMANENT STORAGE
PREAMBLE
There is little that is more disheartening to anybody wanting to work on
specimens than to find them in dust-laden assorted boxes. The clean, ordered
storage of specimens in containers is the physical basis o h good collection. The
ability to see and handle specimens easily is fundamental, and the use of suitable
storage containers and logical arrangements for collections may allow them to be
found and used with a minimum of descriptive indexes.
The fundamental aim of good storage design is the provision uf optimum
conditions for specimen conservation (details of these conditions are given in
C2.4.2). Clearly, most curators are saddled with the buildings, rooms, and
furniture in their museums with few opportunities to improve existing arrangements.
Should these occur however then the following paragraphs should be
borne in mind. (See also Stansfield 1971).
This section of the Guidelines sets out the theoretical basis for providing good
storage and does not attempt to cover the myraid situations requiring special
considerations. We concentrate on general aspects of storage environments,
storage furniture and storage arrangements.
BUILDINGS
These should be accessible to all, from independent wheelchair users and the
blind, to pregnant mothers and the old. There should be adjacent parking for the
severely disabled. Access should be .step-free and by single wide opening doors