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Herbarium Collections Loans Policy
Brooklyn Botanic Garden will loan its scientific collections to herbaria recognized in Index Herbariorum.
The standard loan period will be for one (1) year and may be extended upon written request to the Curator.
Loans to North American herbaria will be shipped at Book Rate, uninsured, unless special arrangements are made with the institution receiving the loan. Other shipments will be sent by air.
Only under special circumstances will specimens be loaned to individuals or institutions not listed in the Index. Arrangements must be made with the Curator before special loans will be sent. The loan period for special loans will be no more than six (6) months, and no extensions are allowed.
At the discretion of the Curator, loans may be denied for the following reasons:
- The institution or individual has shown disregard for the proper care of the specimens.
- The specimens are the subject of research by a member of the Garden staff at the time of the request.
- The shipment and handling may damage the specimen irreparably.
Rules on the Use of Herbarium Specimens
- Loans are made to institutions. The institution receiving the loan is responsible for the proper storage and handling of the loaned specimens according to these regulations. If the institution cannot comply with the regulations the loan must be returned. Acceptance of the loan indicates acceptance of these regulations.
- Loans are for one year. Extensions are granted upon written request to the Curator of the Herbarium. Brooklyn Botanic Garden reserves the right to request the return of the loan at any time. Loans may be transferred only with written permission.
- Specimens must be stored in sealed cases and kept free of insect and fungus infestation. Specimens may be frozen for pest control. No other method of pest control may be used without permission of the Curator of the Herbarium.
- Specimens must be handled with extreme care. Do not bend, fold, or drop the specimens. Do not crowd them into cases or slide the specimens over one another. Plant fragments must be placed in the packet on the sheet.
- All specimens studied must be legibly annotated before they are returned. Annotations should indicate the correct scientific name and author, the name of the investigator, and the date. Please include the full reference when annotating types. Annotate each element of a mixed collection. Use permanent ink and acid-free paper; glue with a pH neutral adhesive. Do not alter the original label or existing annotations.
- Specimen fragments may be removed from some collections only if they can be placed in packets on the sheet after study. This includes all glass slides. Do not remove fragments from taxa represented by fewer than five (5) sheets. Special permission from the Curator of the Herbarium is needed before removing fragments from type specimens or special collections. Permission is also needed before removing fragments that will not be returned to the sheet.
- A copy of all photographs taken of the specimens or of fragments should be returned with the loan. The label data from the specimen, name of the photographer, and location of negatives must accompany the photograph.
- All Brooklyn Botanic Garden specimens should be cited with the acronym "BKL" in publications. A reprint of any publication based on specimens from Brooklyn Botanic Garden should be sent to the Garden.
Contact the curator:
Kerry Barringer(718) 623-7318
kerrybarringer@bbg.org