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Handbook on Natural History Collections Management

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Handbook on Natural History Collections Management Vol. 16, No. 2, 2021 swiss-academies.ch Handbook on natural history collections management A collaborative Swiss perspective IMPRINT PUBLISHER Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) • Platform Biology House of Academies • Laupenstrasse 7 • P.O. Box • 3001 Bern • Switzerland +41 31 306 93 39 • [email protected] • swisscollnet.scnat.ch RECOMMENDED FORM OF CITATION Frick H, Greeff M (2021) Handbook on natural history collections management – A collaborative Swiss perspective. Swiss Academies Communications 16 (2) CITATION OF SEPARATE CHAPTERS Nyffeler R, Liersch S, Stauffer F, Hertwig S, Gautier L, de Vos J, Hotz B, Price M, Wandeler P, Frick H (2021) Importance and development of a collection concept. In: Frick H, Greeff M (eds). Handbook on natural history collections management – A collaborative Swiss perspective. Swiss Academies Communications 16 (2) Kurz S, Freitag A, Nyffeler R, Scheyer T, Troxler M, Hotz B, Stauffer F, Neisskenwirth F, Neubert E, Mazenauer J, Greeff M, Baur H, Liersch S, Vilhelmsen L, Litman J, Cibois A, Hofmann B, Price M, Frick H (2021) Object storage. In: Frick H, Greeff M (eds). Handbook on natural history collections management – A collaborative Swiss perspective. Swiss Academies Communications 16 (2) Frick H, Stauffer F, Hotz B, Troxler M, Freitag A, Gautier L, Kurz S, Cibois A, Rembold K, Schenk A, Neisskenwirth F, Liersch S, Détraz-Méroz J, Hofmann B, Litman J (2021) Prevention, monitoring and intervention. In: Frick H, Greeff M (eds). Handbook on natural history collections management – A collaborative Swiss perspective. Swiss Academies Communications 16 (2) Greeff M, Kolbmann W, Burri T, Stöckli E, Klaassen S, Beck A, Chervet N, Tschudin P, Menkveld-Gfeller U, Frick H (2021) Databasing, digitisation and data storage. In: Frick H, Greeff M (eds). Handbook on natural history collections management – A collaborative Swiss perspective. Swiss Academies Communications 16 (2) EDITORS Holger Frick (SCNAT) • Michael Greeff (ETHZ-ENT) REVIEW Jessica Litman • Peter Wandeler • Pia Stieger • Sirpa Kurz • Christoph Meier • Deborah Paul • Ralph Gasser LANGUAGE VERIFICATION Jessica Litman (MHNN) • Michelle Price (CJBG) LAYOUT Olivia Zwygart (SCNAT) COVER PHOTOS MHNG, Philippe Wagneur 1st edition, 2021 Report electronically available at swisscollnet.scnat.ch/handbook TM ISSN (print) 2297-8275 Cradle to Cradle Certified™ ISSN (online) 2297-184X Höchster Standard für Ökoeffektivität. is a certification mark licensed by Cradle to CradleTM-certified and climate-neutral Cradle to Cradle Certified™ -Druckprodukte the Cradle to Cradle Products DOI: doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4316839 report printed by Vögeli AG in Langnau. hergestellt durch die Vögeli AG. Innovation Institute. Handbook on natural history collections management A collaborative Swiss perspective Holger Frick (SCNAT) Michael Greeff (ETHZ-ENT) SDGs: THE INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF THE UNITED NATIONS With this publication, the Swiss Academies of Sciences make a contribution to the SDGs 14 and 15: ‘Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development’ ‘Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems’ > sustainabledevelopment.un.org > eda.admin.ch/agenda2030/de/home/agenda-2030/die-17-ziele-fuer-eine-nachhaltige-entwicklung.html Swiss Academies Communications, Vol. 16, Nr. 2, 2021 3 Summary Swiss natural history museums, botanical gardens, uni- This document was written by and for persons curating, versities and other institutions for higher education col- preparing or managing natural history collections, i.e. cu- lectively maintain collections with over 60 million speci- rators, technical staff, taxidermists, collection managers mens of animals, fungi, plants, rocks and fossils. Of those and directors. It not only intends to transfer knowledge specimens only 17% are available digitally. To speed up, from person to person but also to bring people together, harmonise and better coordinate digitisation, the Swiss- initiating contacts and discussions between institutions CollNet initiative was established by the Swiss Academy experienced in modern collection management and those of Sciences, together with Swiss collection holding insti- just starting with such processes. tutions. Chapter one covers general aspects of collections such This handbook is one of SwissCollNet’s first measures to as the history of scientific collecting in Switzerland as advance the exchange of knowledge on object and data well as the development of collection concepts and strat- management among Swiss collections. It contains instruc- egies. Chapters two and three concern the exchange of tions to modernise natural history collections of preserved knowledge, Swiss best practices or recommendations and biological materials and geological samples developed by practical information about the storage and preservation experts and collections managers from across Swiss col- of objects. The instructions range from state-of-the-art lection holding institutions. knowledge to handy hints from collection curators, man- agers, technicians and taxidermists. Chapter four is ded- The handbook does not strive for scientific completeness, icated to data management, including recommendations nor does it provide new theoretical insights into collec- for databasing, digitisation and data storage. tions management. It is intended to make existing knowl- edge more easily available and brings together specific The editors actions relevant for the conservation of natural history ob- Holger Frick and Michael Greeff jects, the coordinated digitisation of associated data and the development of a modern digital infrastructure. As a result, this handbook should facilitate the long-term utili- sation of Swiss natural history collections data for science and society. 4 Handbook on natural history collections management – A collaborative Swiss perspective Table of contents Introduction ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 References ......................................................................................................................................................................................................9 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................................................................................10 Chapter 1: Importance and development of a collection concept ............................................................................. 13 1.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................................................................................14 1.2 Reasons to collect ...................................................................................................................................................................... 15 1.3 History of collecting ..................................................................................................................................................................16 1.4 Legislation ........................................................................................................................................................................................19 1.4.1 International laws ratified by Switzerland ........................................................................................................19 1.4.2 National and cantonal laws in Switzerland ....................................................................................................... 21 1.5 Writing a collection concept ............................................................................................................................................... 24 References ...................................................................................................................................................................................................28 Notes ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................30 Chapter 2: Object storage ...................................................................................................................................................................33 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 2.2 Buildings ............................................................................................................................................................................................35 2.2.1 Weight carrying capacity of floors .........................................................................................................................35 2.2.2 Rooms .................................................................................................................................................................................... 36 2.3 Considerations for shelving systems .............................................................................................................................37 2.3.1 Types of shelves ...............................................................................................................................................................37
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