It is preferable that data for input should be TYPED, although CAREFUL HANDPRINTING may be accepted.
Foreign dipthongs, such as ü, ö, should be rendered as UE, OE, etc.
Example: Müller = Mueller
[Square] or <Angle> brackets may be entered by hand if they are unavailable on your typewriter.
Please take care to complete the input sheets clearly and neatly. Sheets difficult to decipher will be rejected by the data-prep. operators.
If uncertain of the validity of any item, eg if a word is difficult to decipher on an old label or manuscript, or the exact spelling of a place name is unknown, put a question mark after it.
If all the relevant information will not fit into a box, it may be continued on a separate blank sheet; the extra sheet or sheets must be fastened securely to the input sheet.
Finish the entry in the box with '(cont)' and repeat the Box name in brackets at the start of the overflow.
Enter only what information you have available. Do not worry if several of the boxes are blank, for if additional information becomes available later it can readily be included in the computer file.
For the purposes of this register a "collection" can be considered as one or more objects held in an institution, or in private hands, which can be identified with a named collector. Unattributed material should also be recorded (see 1.COLL below). Try to aggregate a reasonable number of specimens into each named "collection" - do NOT use for single objects except in the most exceptional circumstances. If in doubt consult your regional CRU database manager.
If one person's collection falls conveniently into two or more readily identifiable discrete parts - on the grounds of subject matter or locality of origin (eg South African minerals, British Carboniferous plant fossils and Oligocene insects from the Isle of Wight) then each part could be recorded on separate input sheets, cross-referenced in the 16.ADDN field.
It is the express policy of all C.R.U.'s that details of collections held in private hands should only be submitted for inclusion provided the responsible curator has obtained permission from the collection owner. It is considered ethically important that the possible dangers of revealing their names and addresses should be pointed out to such owners, and the provisions we have made for preserving confidentiality explained to them.
Confidential information should NOT be entered on an input sheet, but preserved securely at the originating institution. (See also below under 1.COLL, 11.BIOG, 12.MUSE).
If in doubt, contact your local C.R.U. committee.
Only record information that is readily available; FENSCORE do not expect collaborating curators to spend time researching collections for the purpose of the register. Only the following fields are essential:
1.COLL 2.SUBJ 12.MUSE 13.NAME 14.DATE
If known, give personal name of assembler, principal collector or any other name by which the collection is identified within the holding institution.
If UNATTRIBUTED, enter the title of the Holding Institution. (see 12.MUSE for format instructions)
If CONFIDENTIALITY has been requested, enter 'CONFIDENTIAL'.
FORMAT: Surname comma space forename/initial space forename/initial space (detail) NB. No fullstop after initials.
Separate multiple entries by + sign
For ships, give name first then classification letters:
Eg. Challenger, HMS; Calanus, RV; Discovery, RRS
DETAIL: in parentheses. Give ONLY any of the following that are known, in the order shown if more than one item; any other details known about the collector to go in 11.BIOG and not here. The purpose of the detail in this field is to provide the minimum necessary to help users of the database distinguish between collectors with similar names.
Title(s) Civil (except Mr), Military, Academic. eg Sir, Major, Dr
Generation (if usual) eg. the Third, the Son
Academic Qualifications eg. Ph.D., FLS
Biographical dates eg. 1802-1873
If only birth date known, put 1926-
If only death date known, put -1944
Examples: Echalaz, C T (Lt. Col. 1844-)
Brown, V (Reverend M.A. 1900-1974)
Melvill, J R B + Standen, R
Sowerby, J B (the Third)
Subject of Collection; free text.
If available should be included here for rocks and fossils. If a significant part of the collection has precise statigraphical data, such as 'Barton Beds' or 'Lias', this should be recorded. Where possible all relevant collections should be referred to one or more of the following main systems:-
QUATERNARY TRIASSIC SILURIAN
TERTIARY PERMIAN ORDOVICIAN
CRETACEOUS CARBONIFEROUS CAMBRIAN
JURASSIC DEVONIAN PRECAMBRIAN
Separate multiple entries with + sign.
Examples: 'Marine shells', 'Mounted moths',
'Jurassic L. Lias ammonites + Tertiary Barton Beds molluscs'.
Geographical region from which the majority of the material originates. If more than one region is represented give them all. Free text.
For BRITISH collections include County or Counties covered if possible.
For EUROPEAN collections include Country if possible.
Examples: 'British (mainly Hants and Surrey); 'Australia (NSW)'; 'World Wide'; 'Indo-Pacific'
Period over which collection was assembled, if known. Free text.
Examples: '1870-1890', 'About 1920', 'Late 19th Century'
Size of Collection. Free text.
This may be estimated in any convenient way, for example number of specimens, number of drawers (if possible with dimensions), or number of cabinets,storeboxes, etc.
NB. a number on its own will be queried at input time.
Name(s) of other individuals known to be associated with the main collection; names of expeditions or institutions associated can also be recorded here. People (eg Linnaeus) considered to be so important that the mere possiblity of their being associated with the collection may be worth noting.
In dealing with very large collections (eg a principal herbarium) the following guidelines may prove helpful:-
If you can identify up to 100 specimens, enter here as an associated collector.
If more than 100 specimens are identifiable, treat as a separate collector for the purposes of the register.
You may still add (COMPLETE) at the end, but this is no longer recommended practice.
Format: Use the format set out in 1.COLL above, plus these:
Type of Association, eg. Donor/Holder/Re-labeller.
Main Place of Residence, eg. of Edinburgh (note, town only, NOT address).
Multiple entries should be separated by a + sign.
Again, please enter here ONLY the items indicated in the instructions; full biographies are NOT needed in this field, and could prove a great embarrassment to the database manager if included.
Give any useful additional information on the present location of the collection, particularly for multi-site institutions, or where the collection is not in the 'main store'. Free text.
Examples: 'in basement', 'destroyed 1951', 'sold at auction', 'on display in Town Hall foyer'.
NB. It is no longer necessary to record whether the collection is maintained as a separate entity.
Acquisition data. Give method and source (date) accession no. Free text.
Example: 'By exchange with Glasgow Museum (1965)', 'Donated by widow (1947) acc. no. 1083G'.
Give details of any unpublished RELATED DOCUMENTATION. Free text.
eg manuscript note books, photographs, ephemera, etc.
Give any PUBLISHED CITATIONS to the collection, eg. sale catalogues, scholarly papers, etc. If you know many papers have been published on the collection, you need only give a citation to a reasonably complete bibliography if one exists. Free text field, but please follow conventional format for bibliographic entries.
Example: Smith, J (1981) The Splatt Collection. Curatorial Journal 24 : 2-17
Any biographical information known about the primary collector, other than the basic information which goes in 1.COLL. Leave blank if the information might breach confidentiality. Free text.
Examples: Citation of published obituary; 'well known Lakeland naturalist', 'was in Indian Civil Service 1870-1895', 'of Oxford'
Name of institution holding the collection. Enter the full name of the institution; the the place-name should always come first. The actual title of an institution would normally conform to that used in the Museum Association Yearbook, if relevant, except that the preference of the holding institution must always be respected. For collections in private hands put: 'Location available from (here insert name of institution holding the information) at discretion of collector'.
Examples: Chester, Grosvenor Museum
Edinburgh University, Dept. of Zoology
Liverpool, National Museums on Merseyside
The name of the person reporting on the collection.
Format: Surname comma space initial space initial
NB. No fullstop after initials
The date the collection was recorded (ie date of visit if relevant).
Format: Year Month Day as YYYY MMM DD
Examples: 1982 Feb 23 1979 Sep 04
'Status': whether the collection contains taxonomically or ecologically important material. Enter the following codes if relevant specimens are known, or suspected, to be present.
TY or TY? for TYPE material.
FG or FG? for FIGURED material
CD or CD? for CITED material
VC or VC? for VOUCHER material
'Types' should be interpreted in the widest sense, to mean 'any specimen known, or even suspected, of having type status at any level (eg topotypes and homeotypes should be included). Put any additional detail in parentheses. Separate multiple entries with + sign.
Examples: TY (mainly Melville) + FG?
VC (for Lancs and Chesh.)
Any additional information about collection that does not fit elsewhere. Free text.
Eg. If the collection is in reasonable condition no comment is required, but if you consider conditions out of the ordinary, eg 'extra fine', 'poor', 'pyrite disease rampant' or 'labels damp stained and difficult to read', say so here. If in your opinion the collection requires any urgent conservation measures, briefly indicate here; for example: 'Cabinets on damp floor, needs raising on bricks at once to improve airflow'.
If the collection is being recorded only from a published reference, tick this box.
Sort/Search Code fields; recommended that these be completed centrally under the control of the regional database manager. See separate instruction sheets for details of codes.
If entry is an update of an existing record, give month and year of update; if this is new entry, leave this field blank. All date of update will be retained in this field.
Unique Identity Number. A three-letter code to indicate originating CRU.
(i.e. NAM,NNE,NNW,NSE,NST,NSW,NYH,NWL) followed by an up to 5 digit running serial number allocated by the CRU. The leading 'N' of the code indicates 'Natural History', to prevent confusion of identity numbers with other disciplines.