Fee for External Users of the Herbarium

[Harvey E. Ballard, Jr.]

My two cents: the National Science Foundation expects that all molecular
data such as sequences will be submitted to GenBank or other "freely
accessible" repositories, so that the data are ultimately used for free by
other scientists worldwide.  In addition, even the DNA extracts are
supposed to be made available to others where possible.  To charge others
for the use of these materials and products is simply counter to the
advance of scientific thought and evaluation.  There are other areas of
academia where running more like a finely tuned business would be
beneficial.  Sharing of resources where both sides receive great benefits
far less costly than if both sides charged, is not one of those areas.
Were it a one-way situation with benefits only received on the
specialist/taxonomist asking for the loan, then charging would be
appropriate.

Harvey Ballard

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Harvey E. Ballard, Jr.
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Agricultural Research Service, USDA
Horticulture Department, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison WI 53706
Tel: (608) 262-0159; FAX: (608) 262-4743
and
Honorary Fellow, University of Wisconsin Herbarium, Botany Department
132 Birge, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Tel: (608) 262-2792
email: hballard at students.wisc.edu