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

本项目主要关注影响德克萨斯理工大学博物馆自然科学研究实验室正常运作的即时需求（额外空间、馆藏管理和安全增强）和预期关注（新的合作伙伴关系和新的馆藏）。该项目将支持以下需求：1)进入新获得的空间；2)获得美国博物馆协会认证的自我评估结果。为了应对这些挑战，必须在空间利用方面进行基本的改变，改善储存，并对设施进行微小的修改。这些变化将促进收集的利用，改善人员的健康和安全条件，并适应当前和未来的增长。这些计划纳入了最近公布的有关收集护理、扩展、储存、准备设施与收集储存区域的分离、为特定收集区域（一般收集、液体保存收集和冷冻组织收集）和操作（标本制备、骨学处理、综合虫害管理和供应储存）分配专用空间的信息。具体而言，该项目将支持以下活动：1)重新分配现有空间并扩展到新获得的空间。这将提高设施的利用率，允许增长，并协助实施后续阶段的收集改进。2)将液体标本转移到一个更大的专用设施，并将液体标本存放在不易燃的储物柜中，以更好地保护藏品和人员免受火灾的伤害，并促进藏品的增长。此外，更换液体收集中的旧罐子和盖子。3)将办公室迁移到新的专用空间。4)将重要组织收集到更大的专用空间。5)将骨学和标本处理区域转移到远离采集存储区域的专用空间，以尽量减少昆虫与标本接触的可能性。6)升级干燥标本的存储，包括用足够数量的精神箱替换木箱，以便升级现有标本的存储，以及纳入新获得的收藏品，以及增长和扩展。7)将标本箱放置在金属架子上，以更有效地防治虫害。8)积压和来料的安装。这些变化将为馆藏护理、管理、增长、人员健康和安全提供有利条件，并促进博物馆承诺将这些藏品提供给研究人员，并为系统学家和博物馆专业人员提供学术培训。

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.