The “ins and outs” of Specimen Loans:
Are current loan policies adequately serving the Systematic Community?
Victoria Bayless and Mike FerroLouisiana State Arthropod Museum
Really Ancient History --- the 1960’s
LSU Insect Collection
Ancient History --- the 1990’s
No, Not really, MaybeLoans at LSAM 1970-1983
73%
27%
Total loans 321
Returned (1993) Overdue (1993)
Overdue Loans at LSAM 1970-1983
23%
14%63%
1993 Recall Success 86 Loans
still overdue (2011)returned '93-'94returned 1994-2011
Google and Email
6 Already returned (paperwork issues)7 Extended4 Emails bounced2 Loans misplaced by borrower (but borrowers trustworthy)12 Loans being returned10 No replies (more than one are infamous hoarders)1 Situation hopeless (material safe)1 Lost material following death of borrower1 Transfer to other researcher following death of borrower1 Lost in post (but this person is a hoarder and therefore answer is suspect)
Data on 47 loans requested this year (2011) for return issued prior to 2000
The Current Situation
Loan Forms and Loan Policies
One page or Twenty pages: Does anyone really read them?
One page or Twenty pages: Does anyone really read them?
One page or Twenty pages: Does anyone really read them?
One year? Researcher on AmphetaminesTwo years? Master’s Student
Three years? Ph.D. Student
Reality Check: Large Scale Revisions
•Five years?•Ten years?
More????
LOAN DURATION POLICY
IN OUT
Classification of Borrowers
The Hoarder The Arrogant Intellectual
The Master of ExcusesThe Procrastinator
Classification of Borrowers
Classification of Borrowers
The Absent Minded Professor
The Optimist
Classification of Borrowers
The Lazy BonesThe Organizational Disaster
Classification of Borrowers
The Saint
Here are the
specimens I borrowed
from the LSAM and I
brought you some
flowers too!
Who wants What
?Curator/Collection Manager
Borrower/Researcher
Retentions
Duration
Specimens
What we really want
To house specimens in such a way as to make them available for use, both as loans and as an on-line searchable database with images.
Can we loan specimens in a manner that would assist in research AND still be able to maintain and improve our collection?
The Big Question
The Future – Wiki Pages
http://lsamloans.wikia.com/wiki/LSAMLoans_Wiki
YES
The Insect Loans Wiki Page
Basic Wiki Architecture
HOME
Borrower MuseumTaxa
Basic Wiki Architecture
HOME
Borrower Museum Taxa
Borrower’s Info History
Maintained by Borrower
Lender’s Info Loans
Maintained by Lender
Loans ordered by taxa
Maintained by ?
acknowledgements THANKS to all of you who have returned loans recently (or ever) and/or plan to do so in the very near future!
Those who shared their stories and ideas
Everyone who agreed to talk in this session
CHRIS CARLTON , the LSAM family and the LSU Department of Entomology
All the insects that gave their lives so we could actually make loans to all the borrowers so they could do all the remarkable things they do!
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