Museums on paper: library & manuscript resources

摘要

A natural history museum collection typically houses a great deal of paper-based material (additional to specimen labels) that may directly or indirectly relate to specimen material in its own, or other, establishments. This material may be of greatvalue to the study of natural history' and the promotion of conservation. Amongst the documentation most useful in ornithology are field and museum labels, field notes and reports, itineraries, diaries, letters, stock books, annotations in catalogues, and captive breeding records. Among the figurative materials of great potential value are field sketches, drawings and photographs, any of which may relate to the history of a specimen, species or habitat. We exemplify these uses and values, drawing on cases involving mainly rare or extinct species (in order of appearance: Vanellus macropterus, Amaurocichla bocagei, Diaphorapteryx hawkinsi, Psephotus pulcherrimus. Pinguinus impennis, Cistothorus platensis, Calidrisferruginea, Haliaeetus albicilla, Melopsittacus undulatus, Rhodonessa caryophyllacea, Sceloglaux albifacies. Rallus nigra, Janthoenas godmani, Cuculus poliocephalus, Sitta longirostris and Tympanuchus cupido). However, paper-based museum resources also have great potential for such studies asthose which help delineate the extent and nature of population declines in common birds. These resources need to be better known by and more accessible to scholars.