Reorganization of the University of Iowa Paleontology Repository

爱荷华大学古生物库在规模和意义上都跻身北美十大藏品之列，并支持最近在全国排名第七的古生物学研究生项目的研究活动。该资料库共收录了约25,000个模式标本和转介标本，以及100多万个标本。长期以来，它一直是该州古生物和地质藏品的主要保存设施，也是地球科学系古生物系研究和教学活动的重点。该储存库已达到有效运行能力，迫切需要全面重组。该项目是一个更大项目的第一阶段，最终将涉及管理和计算机化。第一阶段(馆藏)侧重于：(1)全面评估馆藏，特别是古生代和中生代非爱荷华州的地层藏品和新生代软体动物藏品；(2)完成一系列促进重组的策展项目，包括对即将退休的教职员工的研究藏品和几个可能引起广大社区关注的特殊藏品的收藏，特别是Strimple棘皮动物和Belanski泥盆纪藏品；(3)实物重组，包括购买新的标本柜。将邀请访问专家对内部专业知识不足的藏品进行评估。虽然这些藏品已经被大量使用，但项目完成后将带来更大的利用。收集的长期计划包括在WWW上提供收集数据。

The University of Iowa Paleontology Repository has been ranked among the top ten collections in North America in terms of size and significance, and supports the research activities of a paleontology graduate program recently ranked seventh in the nation. The Repository contains some 25,000 type and referred specimens and over one million specimens in total. It has long been the primary holding facility for paleontological and geological collections in the state, and is the focal point of the research and teaching activities of the paleontology faculty in the Department of Geoscience. The Repository has reached its effective operating capacity and is in urgent need of comprehensive reorganization. This project represents the first phase of a larger project, which will ultimately involve both curation and computerization. This first phase (curation) focuses on: (1) a complete evaluation of the holdings, especially the Paleozoic and Mesozoic non-Iowan stratigraphic collections and Cenozoic molluscs; (2) completion of a range of curatorial projects facilitating reorganization, including curation of retiring faculty members' research collections and several special collections of potential interest to the community at large, especially the Strimple echinoderm and Belanski Devonian collections; and (3) physical reorganization, including purchase of new specimen cabinets. Visiting specialists will be invited to evaluate those collections where in-house expertise is lacking.Although the collection already is heavily used, completion of the project will result in even greater use. A long-term plan for the collection includes making collection data available on the WWW.