Private collections of museum curators

[Ron at]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Barry M. OConnor" <bmoc at UMICH.EDU>
To: <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: Private collections of museum curators

> My institution allows curators to maintain personal collections at home
and
> on their own time.  I know of another similar institution where curators
> were allowed to have personal collections in the institution, and all
their
> effort went into those rather than the institutional collection.  One
such
> collection was even willed to a different institution by the
"responsible"
> party. - Barry
>
> Barry M. OConnor
> Curator & Professor             phone: (734) 763-4354
> Museum of Zoology               FAX: (734) 763-4080
> University of Michigan          e-mail: bmoc at umich.edu
> 1109 Geddes Ave.
> Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1079  USA

I mentioned last week that the real issue looks like ownership of types not
location or type of depository.  Well, I like Barry's post because to me it
indicates an institution that sees itself as a servant and steward and
realizes that biological science is not the "property" of anyone.  That
borrowed (collected) from the natural world belongs to the society of
science and civilization.  Stewardship mandates responsibility.
Servanthood mandates availability - and cooperation.  Ron Gatrelle