Enhancement of Collections and Safety at the Museum of Texas Tech University

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ABSTRACT This project focuses on immediate needs (additional space, collection management, and safety enhancements) and projected concerns (new partnerships and new collections) that impact the normal operations of the Natural Science Research Laboratory at the Museum, Texas Tech University. The project will support needs concerning: 1) movement into newly acquired space and 2) results from a self-evaluation for accreditation by the American Association of Museums. To address these challenges, basic changes in space utilization, storage improvements, and minor modification of facilities must be made. These changes will facilitate collection utilization, improve conditions for health and safety of personnel, and accommodate current and future growth. These plans incorporate recently published information about collection care, expansion, storage, separation of preparation facilities from collection storage areas, allocation of dedicated space for specific collection areas (general collection, fluid-preserved collection, and frozen-tissue collections) and operations (specimen preparation, osteological processing, integrated pest management, and supply storage). Specifically, this project will support for the following activities: 1) Reallocation of existing space and expansion into newly acquired space. This will enhance utilization of facilities, allow for growth, and assist in the implementation of subsequent stages of collection enhancements. 2) Movement of the fluid-preserved collections to a single, larger, dedicated facility, and house the fluid-specimens in non-flammable lockers to provide greater protection from fire to the collection and personnel and facilitate collection growth. Additionally, replacement of old jars and lids in the fluid collection. 3) Movement of offices into newly dedicated space. 4) Movement of the vital tissue collection int o a larger dedicated space. 5) Transfer the osteological and specimen processing areas to dedicated space distant to collection storage areas to minimize the potential for insect-specimen contact. 6) Upgrade the storage of dry specimens including the replacement of wooden cases with a sufficient number of mental cases to allow for upgrading storage of existing specimens, as well as for the incorporation of newly acquired collections, and for growth and expansion. 7) Placement of specimen cases on metal racks for more effective pest-control. 8) Installation of backlogged and incoming material. These changes will provide conditions that will serve the interests of collection care, management, growth, personnel health and safety, as well as facilitate the museum's commitment to making these collections available to researchers and for academic training of systematists and museum professionals.