GUIDELINES FOR THE CURATION OF GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

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ideal (e.g. BM(NH) London; Nat. Mus. Wales, Cardiff; Oxford University Museum). Vibration from the movement of drawers is one of the main hazards to specimens so construction of cabinets, etc. must be to a sufficiently high standard to ensure the smooth running of drawers. Quality timber and good construction normally lead to satisfactory results. Unlike materials, such as wooden drawers on metal runners, can give good results, although differential wear can cause problems which are diminished if the metal runners are coated with plastic, such as polythene. Sticking drawers can be eased by rubbing the stub of a candle on the running surfaces. Open or closed shelving or drawer units which are mounted on rails ('roller racking') and can be manually or mechanically moved sideways, so as to fit close Fig. 13. Purpose-built shelving for vertebrate fossils. The specimens are supported in a variety of ways to reduce the risk of breakage. On shelf 1 the skull is partially cocooned by quick setting foam, providing good support. On shelf 2 skulls are set on boards and supported by metal wires and suitably sized cut block of foam. On shelf 3 boards, plaster and metal wires are used, while on shelf 4 timber supports are used alone.
to each other, save a great deal of space. Several manufacturers produce these compactable units and, while they require very strong floors, they can provide excellent. high-density bulk storage, such as for non-accessioned specimens from the field or those held for disposal. These systems may provide good security if the units can be locked on their tracks. A disadvantage is that they may be prone to vibration when moved and thus may damage delicate materials if inadequately packed. 3.4. SPECIMEN TRAYS Individual, or essentially identical specimens with their data, should be kept in individual boxes or trays, stored in drawers or on shelving, so as to prevent abrasion or mixing of the specimens. Boxes or trays should be packed in drawers leaving no spaces, thus preventing sliding as the drawers are opened or shut; unused upturned trays can be used to fill gaps. Trays should be deep enough to be lidded, in dusty atmospheres, or to prevent specimens from 'jumping' out. Trays and boxes are commonly of cardboard or plastic. The former is better in most conditions, other than the undesirable condition of dampness: Card trays which are paper lined can be purchased in colours, which may be helpful in the arrangement of specimens in the collections, or in their identification e.g. type or figured specimens in differently coloured boxes. Acid-free boards and papers should be used in the construction of trays or boxes. Specimens too large for boxing should have labels tied to them and placed on polyurethane foam sheeting on shelves. Some large specimens may need extra support by special bracing, e.g. cut foam blocks, semi-cocooning in poured urethane foam, timber or plaster work. Care must be taken if supporting with a closed-cell foam. or with plaster, lest moisture be trapped against the specimen causing deterioration. Specimens supported by coccooning should be inspected regularly for support or specimen damage. Other specimens, such as microfossils, sea-floor sediments, cores, meteorites or delicate silicified specimens are unsuitable for open trays and require special storage (see C3.7). Specimens within trays or on shelves may be kept in ventilated polythene bags, which, if closed using a resealable strip or simply by folded over, give good protection from dust. Small specimens, of a few mm in diameter, can be kept in cavity slides or in small glass or plastic bottles or vials. These should be capped and loosely packed with lint-free cellulose wadding (not cotton-wool - A2.1.2.2) to minimise movement of the specimens. Bottles or vials should be kept in trays with the labelling, the containers being marked as if the specimens. The labels with unmarked specimens should always include a note of the number of specimens in each container, for collection checking purposes. STORAGE ORGANIZATION PREAMBLE It is the responsibility of the curator to ensure that every specimen in the collection is worthy of its place. The maintenance of museum collections requires
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A . GUIDELINES FOR THE CURATION '-
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CONTENTS Part A INTRODUCTION ACQUI
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GUIDELINES FOR CURATION OF GEOLOGI
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involved at all stages of curation
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ACQUISITION: SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDA
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environomental (i.e. site) conserva
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PRIMARY ACQUISITION: COLLECTING AND
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clearly and indelibly labelled with
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2.1.3.2. Geochemistry 2.1.3.3. Geop
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2.2.1.3. Purchase 2.2.1.4. Exchange
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2.2.2.2. Private collectors This ca
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ACQUISITION DOCUMENTATION INTRODUCT
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DOCUMENTATION OF SPECIMENS DURING P
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Against the corresponding number in
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DOCUMENTATION GENERAL INTRODUCTION
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measurements, descriptions, photogr
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Fig. 3. Cataloguing a specimen usin
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Specimen Identity Numbers may be su
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ldentn Comment Object(s) OBJECT EXA
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Cooper (1982), Mayer (1974, 1976),
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its entitlement to retain a specime
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or otherwise borrowed. Those which
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must be that in which a specimen is
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must be used. An extendible numberi
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Multiple classifications and cross-
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itself the task of describing, figu
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4.4.1.2. Minerals 4.4.1.3. Rocks ne
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4.4.2. Identity and identification
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The MDA Geology Specimen Card allow
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4.4.2.6. Status A specimen acquires
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4.4.3.3. Colour Colour is a notorio
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Regis, Charmouth; for Whitby, Saltw
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Redundant or shifting countries and
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4.4.4.3. Collection This system, al
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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 122 and 123: Both the nature of the geological m
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
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REFERENCES AND APPENDICES
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REF 2 BRUNTON, C. H. C. 1980. The u
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REF 4 persons exposed to ionising
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REF 6 OBRUCHEV, D. V. 1964. Agnatha
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REF 8 TAYLOR, H. A. 1980. The arran
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APP 2 .Museum use. NB. These glues
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APP 4 Tufskin. Alfred Adams & Co. L
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APP 6 0 Silicones and thermosetting
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APP 8 BARBOLA MODELLING PASTE Alec
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APP 10 GAUZE, cotton (B.P.B. Absorb
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APP 12 PLASTONE self-hardening mode
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APP 14 SEPARATORS and RELEASE AGENT
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APP 16 STORAGE SHELVING Bruynzeel S
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APP 18 Road, Linlithgow Bridge, Lin
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APP 20 FERRY PICKERING BOXES LTD.,
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APP 20 FERRY PICKERING BOXES LTD.,
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FERRY PICKERING BOXES LTD., 53 Mead
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APP 22 MONEY HICKS LTD, 49 Clapham
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APP 24 SOLMEDIA LTD, 31 Orford Road
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APPENDIX 3 NATIONAL SCHEME FOR GEOL
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APP 29 a resource for internal use
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29. AVON, SOMERSET. GLOUCESTERSHIRE
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