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Risks and Opportunities for Natural History Collections: Moving Toward a Unified Policy
Author(s) -
Hoagland K. Elaine
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
curator: the museum journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.312
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 2151-6952
pISSN - 0011-3069
DOI - 10.1111/j.2151-6952.1994.tb01016.x
Subject(s) - natural history , competition (biology) , natural resource , collections management , endangered species , political science , history , library science , computer science , ecology , law , biology , habitat
The current status of natural history collections is complex and seemingly contradictory. While opportunities for collections to serve society are greater than ever, many institutions find that their ability to care for collections is diminishing. Competition for resources, especially in academic institutions, is one reason. But there is also sometimes a lack of clear mission for collections within organizations themselves. The Association of Systematics Collections (ASC) provides programs and resources to help institutions meet the challenge of maintaining natural history collections. If collections are truly endangered, we can help ensure that they are not lost to science and society.