GUIDELINES FOR THE CURATION OF GEOLOGICAL MATERIALS

obscure the sectioned material. By the same token, the specimen label (and all
other documentation) accompanying the original specimen from which the
section or mount was made should indicate clearly the existence and location of
the slide.
polished sections pose a greater problem as they are normally too small for a
paper label to be attached. The accession number should be carefully scratched
into the glass, using a diamond-tipped stylus, and this number, together with
other relevant information, written onto the envelope in which the section is
kept.
3.7.5. Silicified fossils
These, when developed from the rock, are very fragile and require special
treatment. Depending upon the quantity and nature of the specimens, the
technical expertise of staff and the availability of materials, the specimens may be
hardened or supported (see C2.2.1.2) to reduce the likelihood of breakage.
Storage sbould be in lidded boxes with the specimens resting on cellulose wadding
covered with soft tissue next to the specimen, to prevent fibres from catching in
the silica. If the specimens are to be moved, a second soft tissue, with a large
upturned flap to grasp, should cover them, followed by more cellulose wadding.
Specimen labels should not rest directly above specimens, since in lifting off the
label the specimen may be broken. They should either be placed down the side of
the box or fixed to the outside surface.
Smooth running drawers should be used to prevent jarring and they should be
marked to show that they contain fragile specimens (see C3.3.3).
Visitors must be instructed not to handle silicified specimens, except under
supervision. Commonly, it is impossible to mark individuals, so boxing and
labelling with data are especially important.
Transport of particularly fragile specimens may be made safer by partially
setting individuals in paraffin wax or by placing in small jars of glycerine solution.
Generally, it is recommended not to send such specimens, other than by hand.
ARCHIVES
PREAMBLE
Archives may be defined as papers, or records, regardless of their physical form,
which accumulate over a period of time in any organisation whether a major
institutions or a family. In museums these records commonly contain information
of value and may have been accumulated over the years by individuals who may
or may not have been staff members. (For further reading use Schellenburg 1956;
1965.)
The Public Records Act of 1958 and 1967 lay down regulations for archives of
all institutions funded by central government. The same or amended versions of
the Acts are followed by many local authorities in dealing with their archives. In a
nutshell the regulations are tied to the 30 year rule of access to documents and
work in the following way:
Papers covering a particular project are filed together.