The Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma, will accession and protect the orphaned University of Memphis Mammal Collection, the largest collection of Tennessee mammals, by providing optimal storage conditions and strong support for its long-term preservation. The collection has important specimens, provides basic data on species diversity in Tennessee over time. The project will: provide new cabinets and shelves; curate the collection to the highest standards; improve access to specimens and data through digitization of the specimens; make data available to scientists and the public via the museum website and network portals; and increase the capacity for research and education to utilize the data.
The Sam Noble Museum, Oklahoma's state museum of natural history plays an important role in enhancing scientific literacy and the understanding of science and collections by society. The museum will use the data in programs, media outlets, events, and publications. The project will provide opportunities and experiences for graduate and undergraduate students and a museum intern to develop research and communication skills, learn museum methods and practices, and build capacity for life-long learning. Integration of the project with K-12 museum programs and workshops for teachers will engage the next generation of students in research.
Collections of scientific specimens are an important public resource for information on the ecology and distribution of species, including pest species, game animals, carriers of possible human diseases, economically important mammals, and other species of interest and value to humans. These collections are developed over time at great cost of human resources, money, infrastructure, and staff required to care for the specimens. They are utilized by scientists, environmental impact specialists, disease researchers, and others who require ready access to specimens to inform their scientific papers, impact reports, conservation strategies, and other important societal needs that require specimen data. The Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma, rescued and protected the orphaned University of Memphis Mammal Collection—the largest collection of Tennessee mammals—by providing optimal storage conditions and support for its long-term preservation. The collection of more than 27,000 specimens contains important specimens and provides basic data on species diversity in Tennessee over time. New cabinets and shelves on a mobile storage system were provided; the collection was curated to the highest standards; access to specimens and data through digitization of the specimens was improved; data were made available to scientists and the public via the museum website and network portals; and the capacity for research and education to utilize the data was increased. The Sam Noble Museum, Oklahoma’s state museum of natural history, plays an important role in enhancing scientific literacy and the understanding of science and collections by society. The museum used the data and specimens in a wide variety of programs, events, and publications. The project provided extensive opportunities and experiences for graduate and undergraduate students, a museum intern, and volunteers representing under-represented groups and various gender, age, and racial groups. These experiences helped individuals develop research and communication skills, learn museum methods and practices, and build capacity for life-long learning. Integration of the project with K-12 museum programs and workshops for teachers engaged the next generation of students in research.
