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!