The following papers are placed here in the hope they will assist fellow curators around the world who increasingly are facing questions about the utility of their natural science collections. Please feel free to download and use the information.
There are three papers at present, all by C.W. Pettitt:
1991
What Price Natural History Collections
or 'Why do we need all these bloody mice?'
(in Museums Journal)
[This is written for non-scientists,
but it did impress the then Chairman of the UK Museums and Galleries
Commission when I gave him a copy to read on the way home - he rang to tell
me so!)
1994
Using the Collections
(in Manual of Natural History Curatorship)
[This was
written in part for non-natural-historians who might find themselves in
charge of NH collections, but it is fairly detailed]
1997
The Cultural Impact of Natural
Science Collections
(in
Value and Valuation
of Natural History Collections
)
[This is probably the fullest
account, with the most references, but all three papers, although repetitive
to some degree, do have unique information and hopefully will repay reading]