Brian H. Reily, reporting for duty!
Two weeks ago I put myself inside of an enormous chunk of aluminum and was hurled through the air at several hundred miles per hour from New Orleans International Airport to State College, Pennsylvania. After getting my land-legs back and my wits about me once more, I started out in search of Headhouse III to find out where I’d be going for my summer internship at the Frost.
I got lost.
However, my second attempt was more successful and, after meeting up with part of the Frost’s Crew for the Sinnemahoning State Park Bioblitz, I initiated my stint at the museum.
Between frantic dashes between HR offices and ID card kiosks to fill out official paperwork, I had the opportunity to spend a good bit of my first two weeks here in sunny State College sifting through a pile loose specimens from around the globe. The following are just a few of the little gems I found lying about the collection room.
Sadly, a number of the specimens I sorted through were broken, poorly labeled, unlabeled, or largely converted into little piles of dermestid poop. Some of the losses were a bit more upsetting than others.
I realize that specimen maintenance isn’t always the most fun and exciting part of entomology, but it is one of the most important parts. A specimen without data is only slightly better than useless and the same goes for data without an intact specimen. I’d like to stress how important it is for us (entomologists, students, enthusiasts, etc.) to really make the effort to tend our collections now so that someone doesn’t have to mend them later.
And who knows, maybe one-hundred and thirty-two years from now someone will “ooh” and “aah” over your Alobates pennsylvanica.
Andy Deans says
Great post, Brian! Specimen maintenance is definitely issue, but at least we were able to mop up that mass of returned loans, misc. ‘receiving’, and other specimens. Whipping this collection into shape!