When possible, NPL prefers to send high quality digital images of fragile specimens, specimens from the Type Collection or collection objects that are being visually evaluated (as in the case where 25 corals are being checked for mineralization, and only 2 or 3 of those 25 will end up being used). These images are treated as a traditional loan, but the paperwork that gets sent to the borrower is different.
The steps for generating a digital loan record are the same as for a traditional loan. When preparing a digital image loan, be sure to select only the digital images from the prep type.
NPL uses a lab Dropbox account for most digital loans. A staff member will be able to supply you with sign-in information. A link to a general tutorial for using Dropbox can be found in the right margin of this page. Make a new sub-folder in the 'Pictures' folder with the borrowers name. The requested images are then uploaded to this sub-folder. The borrower must be invited to view the folder. A standard email for this can be found by clicking on the hotlink 'Email to Borrower'. Paste the text into the body of an email, add the link to the Dropbox and the correct names.
The last page of the invoice outlines the terms and conditions for using NPL's digital images, so adherence to this process is paramount.
