Loans to WS
Herbarium specimens loaned to WS for study by researchers at
Washington State University are stored in standard herbarium
cabinets in the Marion Ownbey Herbarium. We request that
researchers identify how the specimens will be used and whether
they intend to remove material from specimens at the time that loan
requests are made to other institutions. We request that
researchers annotate specimens prior to their return to the
institution from which they were borrowed and that such returns be
timely.
To obtain loans from other institutions Researchers at Washington State University who seek loans of herbarium specimens from other institutions should contact the curatorial assistant in the Marion Ownbey Herbarium. Researchers should list the taxa (including synonyms if appropriate) that are sought, whether material from specific geographic locations are needed, and whether a particular number of specimens should be requested. Other special instructions should be included with the loan request. If the researcher wishes to remove any material (e.g., for DNA extraction) from loaned specimens, then the amount and type of material must be indicated at the time of the loan request.
When the specimen loan arrives, the researcher who sought it should count the number of sheets that were received and check this against the number reported to have been sent. This number and the condition of the specimens upon arrival must be reported to the curatorial assistant as soon as possible.
Loans are typically made for one year. During that period, the specimens are to be stored in a herbarium cabinet in the Marion Ownbey Herbarium. The curatorial assistant will assign a cabinet for the storage of the specimens. Specimens should not be removed from the Marion Ownbey Herbarium. If special needs for work space or facilities arise, then requests should be made to the curatorial assistant. Researchers who lack experience with herbarium specimens should discuss their appropriate handling with the curatorial assistant.
Specimens should be annotated by the researcher who made the loan request prior to the termination of the loan period.
When finished with borrowed specimens, the curatorial assistant should be contacted. The curatorial assistant will package the specimens for return to their home institution.