Cataloging progress

One drawer of beetles waiting to be cataloged and curated

   This week's blog entry is going to be a brief entry about the progress we've made in cataloging and databasing our invertebrate collection. The reason we are doing this is because unless you know whats in a collection, its difficult to judge its value. And in recording and discovering what we have, we have found lots of really neat stories and diversity. We are able to accomplish this because the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, who gave our department a grant in 2010, helped fund us to do approximately half of our insect collection. We estimated that half of the collection would be over 250,000 specimens! All of this information is then put on our online database, and also made available to scientists around the world on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

   As of last month, our catalog had 60,971 entries accounting for over 140,000 specimens, which is over half-way towards our goal! The reason we have more specimens than entries is because some material is stored in glass vials filled with alcohol. One vial that is cataloged may have up to 500 or more specimens, though most have only 2-5. Most of the vials in our collection come from Harley Brown's material of aquatic Byrrhoidea beetles, one of which is shown below.

Example of a vial with two beetle specimens. Photo by Chris Sohl

    Many of the vials and most of the material that is being cataloged is being re-curated and housed as its being worked with. For example, below are some of the vials that had ball-point ink written on labels dissolve in the alcohol, turning the solution purple. This was replaced with fresh, clean alcohol to protect the specimen from being dyed purple too by our collection assistant Laura and previous collection assistant Jaime.

When pen ink dissolves in the alcohol. Photo by Chris Sohl

     The pinned material is also worked with to help organize and protect the specimens as its being cataloged. For example, as Laura was working with the pinned specimens below, when she was done entering the information and putting the catalog label number on the pin she would reorganize them so they weren't too close together. This helps protect the specimens as they are pulled in and out of the boxes.

Box of pinned material before recuration, where specimens could hit each other if they weren't pulled out carefully. Photo by Chris Sohl

Recurated box of pinned material. Specimens have proper space and can easily be worked with. Photo by Chris Sohl.

    So as the collection's information is getting recorded and discovered, the specimens that provide the knowledge also get a preservation overhaul. This will ensure they are protected, and last as long as the data they provide. Its been a lot of work and time do to both, and we're really proud of the progress and the help provided by all the members helping in this project. We nearly there, great job guys!