GUIDELINES FOR THE CURATION OF GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Both the nature of the geological materials and their uses will dictate the choice of storage. Mobile racking systems provide solutions to .the storage of large collections in a small space, provided that the floor loadings will accept the extra weight. While expensive to instal, they utilise space very efficiently. Remember the need to trasport large specimens on trucks or trolleys. Place heavy material where it can be handled safely. Pallets and small hand-operated fork-lifts are useful in handling heavy objects. Special storage arrangements should be made for particularly important materials, including specimens (type and figured) and archives. Recommendations exist (e.g. Bruton 1979; Torrens 1974; Bassett et al. 1979; Embrey & Hey 1970 etc.) for the separate storage of type specimens in secure accommodation, a concept accepted by many museums. Some large institutions however may find this practice unweildy. See also C3.5.3. Choice of material When designing storage units from scratch or selecting a ready-made storage system, it is important to consider the kind of material of which the unit is constructed. In practice the choice will be between wood, metal or plastics. A simple comparison of the merits of these materials shows wood to be a clear leader: Protection Vibration Thermal Tensile Anti- Non- against resistance insulation strength static flammability fire inertness Noise wood V V 4 v 0 V VorO 4 Metal 0 0 v 0 V 0 V 0 Plastics 0 0 0 0 0 0 doro V v = good acceptable 0= poor to unacceptable The fire resistance of wood can be improved significantly by painting the exterior of cabinets with fire-resistant solution (the local fire-prevention office can advice). The major variable with timber is inertness, both physically and chemically. It is vital that fully seasoned and dried wood be used, and that it be maintained at a relative humidity of between 50% and 55%, otherwise dessication or hydration will cause warping and distortion of drawers. Timbers such as oak and birch should be avoided since their high acid content will result in the direct damage of specimens and paper documentation. Ideally one of the imported mahogany timbers, with acceptable pH, should be used. (See also C2.4.1.3.) Design of units In principle try to provide storage units including flexibility both in the style of storage (i.e. shelves, drawers, etc.) and in the variety of drawer or shelf depths. Ideally drawers of different sizes, suited to the specimens contained, should be interchangeable with no structural alteration, so as to allow for additions and changes in the order of the collections without loss of storage space. Such a system requires careful design, but several systems are in use which approach this
Fig. 12. Purpose-built palaeontological storage units with their outer casings removed to show. on the left, drawers which may be 60 mm, 90 mm or 120 mm deep. On the right are pull-out narrow shelves on which heavy specimens can be stored on their supports.
Page 1 and 2:
A . GUIDELINES FOR THE CURATION '-
Page 3 and 4:
CONTENTS Part A INTRODUCTION ACQUI
Page 5 and 6:
GUIDELINES FOR CURATION OF GEOLOGI
Page 7:
involved at all stages of curation
Page 10 and 11:
ACQUISITION: SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDA
Page 12 and 13:
environomental (i.e. site) conserva
Page 14 and 15:
PRIMARY ACQUISITION: COLLECTING AND
Page 16 and 17:
clearly and indelibly labelled with
Page 18 and 19:
2.1.3.2. Geochemistry 2.1.3.3. Geop
Page 20 and 21:
2.2.1.3. Purchase 2.2.1.4. Exchange
Page 22:
2.2.2.2. Private collectors This ca
Page 25 and 26:
ACQUISITION DOCUMENTATION INTRODUCT
Page 27 and 28:
DOCUMENTATION OF SPECIMENS DURING P
Page 29 and 30:
Against the corresponding number in
Page 31 and 32:
DOCUMENTATION GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Page 33 and 34:
measurements, descriptions, photogr
Page 35 and 36:
Fig. 3. Cataloguing a specimen usin
Page 37 and 38:
Specimen Identity Numbers may be su
Page 39 and 40:
ldentn Comment Object(s) OBJECT EXA
Page 41 and 42:
Cooper (1982), Mayer (1974, 1976),
Page 43 and 44:
its entitlement to retain a specime
Page 45 and 46:
or otherwise borrowed. Those which
Page 47 and 48:
must be that in which a specimen is
Page 49 and 50:
must be used. An extendible numberi
Page 51 and 52:
Multiple classifications and cross-
Page 53 and 54:
itself the task of describing, figu
Page 55 and 56:
4.4.1.2. Minerals 4.4.1.3. Rocks ne
Page 57 and 58:
4.4.2. Identity and identification
Page 59 and 60:
The MDA Geology Specimen Card allow
Page 61 and 62:
4.4.2.6. Status A specimen acquires
Page 63 and 64:
4.4.3.3. Colour Colour is a notorio
Page 65 and 66:
Regis, Charmouth; for Whitby, Saltw
Page 67 and 68:
Redundant or shifting countries and
Page 69 and 70:
4.4.4.3. Collection This system, al
Page 71 and 72: at tracing the history and fate of
Page 73 and 74: Of immediate concern is the questio
Page 75 and 76: other information of significance m
Page 77 and 78: y documentation, development, techn
Page 79 and 80: The movement of a specimen is an ev
Page 81 and 82: When a specimen is replaced in its
Page 83 and 84: the nature of a specimen and within
Page 85 and 86: 5.4.2. The documentation of complex
Page 87 and 88: 6.1.1.2. conditions of loans a lett
Page 89 and 90: description of borrowed items (incl
Page 91 and 92: ecome separated from their accompan
Page 93 and 94: paragraphs above. It should be note
Page 95 and 96: 6.2.2.4. Outlineprocedure for dispo
Page 98 and 99: SPECIMEN PRESERVATION SUMMARY AND R
Page 100 and 101: 3.8.2. Photographic materials 3.8.
Page 102 and 103: Archives C3.8.1. The care and maint
Page 104 and 105: protection and specific treatments,
Page 106 and 107: field. The excavation of unstable f
Page 108 and 109: to storing the broken pieces unasse
Page 110 and 111: Borates. Most alter (dehydrate) to
Page 112 and 113: strength. Dental silicone moulding
Page 114 and 115: solution of the particular mineral.
Page 116 and 117: Fig. 11. Table of materials which m
Page 118 and 119: all exterior doors and windows requ
Page 120 and 121: locks of rock, for later laboratory
Page 124 and 125: ideal (e.g. BM(NH) London; Nat. Mus
Page 126 and 127: a considerable commitment from the
Page 128 and 129: of all of these specimens in the ev
Page 130 and 131: Stony meteorites should be doubly b
Page 132 and 133: obscure the sectioned material. By
Page 134 and 135: mould, fungi or bacteria, fluorish
Page 136 and 137: 3.8.1.4. Repair 3.8.1.5. Binding Th
Page 138: The National Reprographic Centre fo
Page 141 and 142: Museum safety OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS:
Page 143 and 144: gives regulations for the design an
Page 145 and 146: 2.1.1. Storage 2.1.2. Display While
Page 147 and 148: mineral is a minor constituent are
Page 149: appears to be the dimensions of the
Page 152 and 153: Secondary types Figured specimens C
Page 154 and 155: USES COLLECTIONS PREAMBLE In this P
Page 156 and 157: The criteria for selection of speci
Page 158 and 159: definition of a locality here is di
Page 160 and 161: museum on completion or abandonment
Page 162: Specimen-based publications Publish
Page 165 and 166: For details of palaeontological nom
Page 167 and 168: 2.4.5. Referred specimens When an a
Page 169 and 170: the visitor. Either way, it fails t
Page 171 and 172: methods but do remember the need fo
Page 173 and 174:
EXHIEITIONTITLE "LOST WORLDS " UNIT
Page 175 and 176:
REFERENCES AND APPENDICES
Page 177 and 178:
REF 2 BRUNTON, C. H. C. 1980. The u
Page 179 and 180:
REF 4 persons exposed to ionising
Page 181 and 182:
REF 6 OBRUCHEV, D. V. 1964. Agnatha
Page 183 and 184:
REF 8 TAYLOR, H. A. 1980. The arran
Page 185 and 186:
APP 2 .Museum use. NB. These glues
Page 187 and 188:
APP 4 Tufskin. Alfred Adams & Co. L
Page 189 and 190:
APP 6 0 Silicones and thermosetting
Page 191 and 192:
APP 8 BARBOLA MODELLING PASTE Alec
Page 193 and 194:
APP 10 GAUZE, cotton (B.P.B. Absorb
Page 195 and 196:
APP 12 PLASTONE self-hardening mode
Page 197 and 198:
APP 14 SEPARATORS and RELEASE AGENT
Page 199 and 200:
APP 16 STORAGE SHELVING Bruynzeel S
Page 201 and 202:
APP 18 Road, Linlithgow Bridge, Lin
Page 203 and 204:
APP 20 FERRY PICKERING BOXES LTD.,
Page 205 and 206:
APP 20 FERRY PICKERING BOXES LTD.,
Page 207 and 208:
FERRY PICKERING BOXES LTD., 53 Mead
Page 209 and 210:
APP 22 MONEY HICKS LTD, 49 Clapham
Page 211 and 212:
APP 24 SOLMEDIA LTD, 31 Orford Road
Page 213 and 214:
APPENDIX 3 NATIONAL SCHEME FOR GEOL
Page 215 and 216:
APP 29 a resource for internal use
Page 217:
29. AVON, SOMERSET. GLOUCESTERSHIRE
show all

GUIDELINES FOR THE CURATION OF GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?