Memorandum submitted by Booth Museum of
Natural History (Brighton Royal Pavilion and Museums)
8. What is the role of the major regional
museums and collections? How are taxonomic collections curated
and funded?
ROLE
Taxonomy is fundamental to all aspects of the
natural sciences. It underpins all work on animals and plants
and cannot be dismissed as "old fashioned" or inappropriate,
yet it has become increasingly unfashionable with the advent of
new scientific technology. Since the Victorian period museums
have been key to housing, developing, conserving and interpreting
taxonomic collections. As a result most museums in the past had
natural science collections made by keen amateurs as well as prominent
experts in specific fields. They generously donated their material
to their local museum. Changes in taste and emphasis have more
recently resulted in many smaller museums disposing of their natural
science collections and concentrating on "local history".
Disposal has largely involved the transfer of material to larger
museums with appropriate staffing and facilities. Consequently
the larger regional museums have extensive and very important
collections that are at the heart of taxonomy now as well as in
the past. They enable scientists to try and gain order from the
apparent chaotic natural world.
Many "types", those unique specimens
upon which original species descriptions are based and form the
ultimate reference specimen(s) for a species, are housed in these
museums' collections. Not only are "old" past collections
held. Provided appropriate trained and enthusiastic staff are
in place, collections continue to be built up and added to. New
species are described and deposited. "Voucher" (reference)
material is deposited from environmental impact survey work. Keen
amateurs still exist and deposit their collections as well as
often helping to curate them. Collecting and unravelling the complexities
of the natural world continue, albeit within the limitations of
ethical and legal frameworks.
The collections provide an immeasurable source
for the continued re-evaluation of species, their relationships
with other species and their evolution. Without collections like
these our appreciation and understanding of the natural world
would be greatly hindered. The collections can be of direct benefit
eg in providing reference for the identification of pests and
beneficial species, and as aids in teaching students.
Further, collections are also linked with the
"web" either through the museum's electronic database,
via the local wildlife trust, recording schemes, through the environmental
recording software such as "Recorder", the NBN Gateway
etc. It is critical that collections are made public and accessible
and the www is key to this. Specimens and collections come in
to the museum, and once recorded these data can be uploaded and
made available for others to use, or just know that such and such
a species can be found in such and such museum.
CURATED
Collections are curated by:
Tenured staff; dedicated professional
natural historians, who have to deal with a huge amount of other
museum/local authority work. They now often have little time for
any taxonomic work. They are now more likely to be replaced through
natural wastage by contract staff who can be employed more cheaply.
Contract staff (18-24 months); who do
not have the long term commitment/time to get to grips with the
collections in their care.
Volunteers; experts that give their time
freely to work on museum collections. These include retired persons
who in a previous life have been either professionally or, more
often than not as amateurs, been extremely interested and fascinated
by one or more aspects of the natural world and become "expert"
in a particular group of organisms. The extent to which the amateur
has advanced our understanding of the natural world should not
be underestimated. What began in the Victorian era—that
great time of science and exploration—continues today. Amateurs
still collect and catalogue but they also record, publish (including
on the web) and photograph. Many of the recording groups are amateur
run or run by enthusiastic curators in their own time.
FUNDED
The very nature of natural science collections
means that they are at high risk and require expert care (being
extremely attractive to pests which like to eat them, susceptible
to damp etc.). All the care, conservation and interpretation of
collections requires funding. The museums that house collections
are largely owned/run by local authorities and as such are under
considerable pressure. Sadly, within their organisation they are
often perceived to be of little importance by their authority
and so are under funded—museums are at the bottom of any
local authority pile and at the highest risk when it comes to
annual savings, not helped by pressure from central government.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s efforts were made to improve
this situation through the efforts of the Area Museum Councils
and the Museums & Libraries Authority. A great deal of funds
were made available to cover the cost of surveying the extent
of the collections in the UK and then, from these data, to provide
funds for their conservation and care. Some local authorities
also expanded their museum, employing qualified natural science
curators. Now things have changed considerably with many authorities
under financial pressure and councillors asking: "Why should
the local tax payers be paying for this?"
Funds have been directed away from care of collections,
something that is key to their survival and taxonomic significance
and usefulness, and been focused upon "users", "accessibility"
and "out reach". In recent years and now, cuts in museum
staff are being made which has and is having a direct effect upon
the viability of museum collections. To a small extent the development
of local area networks and regional hubs has helped, but not to
any great extent.
Local authorities can not be expected to fund,
albeit indirectly, taxonomic work without any financial assistance.
The collections need care, interpretation and to be readily available
for study not just by the local government curator in charge but
by students and experts alike. These museums hold the Nation's
natural history wealth, the key to taxonomic work, and are pledged
to care for it and do so valiantly despite the ever-increasing
pressures—but they need help and cannot be expected to continue
under the present situation.
3 January 2008
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