NPL Collections-Returning Specimens to the Collections

Placing the specimen in a tray

The specimen should be placed in the smallest tray possible, with the following proviso:  The specimen should not touch any of the sides of the specimen tray.  If a specimen tray is too small, the sides of the tray may abrade or otherwise damage the fossil, or the fossil may break down the tray.  If the tray is too large, much needed drawer space is wasted and the fossil looks as if something is missing, or the fossil may roll out of the tray when it is transported.

Placing specimens in the drawer

Due to the great variety in specimen shape and the resultant tray sizes, it is often difficult to organize a group of specimens in a regular and consistent manner.  This is one place where a great deal of latitude must be expected if the collections worker is not to go completely mad.  Therefore, not every drawer will look exactly the same.  In some drawers, it is advisable to allow anywhere from 10 to 50% empty space to be retained for future middle-filling with specimens not yet re-curated, or with potential new specimens collected from old localities.  At other times, the drawer will have to be organized in such a manner to utilize every square cm available.  Following are several suggestions about positioning and orientation that may help make the drawer organization consistent, if not perfectly uniform.

1. Space around trays
   1. Specimens in the drawer should be placed in such a manner to make location of the specimen swift and easy.  The specimen trays should be easily removed from the drawer, i. e. they should have a small amount of space between trays.  They should not be jammed together in such a manner that removal of one tray causes several others to jump up and scatter their contents.
2. Sequence of trays in drawer, front to back, forming columns left to right
   1. Specimens should be placed in the drawer beginning with the lowest specimen number in the front left of the drawer.  Subsequent numbered specimens are placed in a column behind the first specimen.  When the first column is filled, the next specimen is placed to the right of the first specimen at the front of the drawer, beginning a new column.  Subsequent columns are filled to the right, in the same manner as the first, until the drawer is full.
3. Separator strips between columns of trays in drawer
   1. Columns of specimens may be separated by a low, narrow strip of plexiglass or other archival material.  Columns separated in this fashion are much easier to keep organized.  Specimens are very easy to locate when divided into columns. 
4. Alignment of columns of trays in drawer
   1. The left hand edge of the trays in a column should be aligned.  This can be done by pushing all the trays in a column against the Plexiglas divider strip. 
5. Positioning of various size trays in the same column
   1. Ideally (if all specimen trays are the same size), each column will be one tray wide.  However, there will, more often than not, be large trays mixed with small trays in any sequence of specimen numbers.
6. Sub-columns of smaller trays mixed with larger trays in the drawer
7. 1. If the width of the larger tray in a column is sufficient, one or more sub-columns of smaller trays may be abutted to the larger one, either before or after the larger tray.  If this is done, the numbering sequence should be as follows:
   2. The left hand side of the first, or primary column is a continuous series of numbers, including the oversize tray. The left hand edges of all trays and labels in the first or primary column should be aligned with the first tray in the column. The second, or sub-column begins as near the front of the drawer as space allows. 
   3. Trays in this second or sub-column are placed (numerically) sequentially after the first tray in the sub-column. If there is space to continue the sub-column on the far side of the oversize tray, continue to place trays in the sub-column until there is no more room.  Continue the number sequence in the sub-column as if the oversize tray was not present. All left edges of trays and labels in the sub-column should be aligned with the left side of the first tray in the sub-column.

1. Anti-rolling orientation of vials in drawer
   1. All vials should be positioned with the long axis of the vial aligned with the direction of motion of the drawer.  This minimizes the rolling action of the vial caused by the opening and closing of the drawer.  The less the vial moves, the less the fossil inside it will be subjected to damage caused by rubbing or repeated minor impacts as the fossil falls over against the vial wall, or falls against another fossil.
   2. If a vial will only rest in a tray with its long axis parallel with the long axis of the tray, the tray should be placed in the drawer with the tray long axis aligned with the direction of motion of the drawer.  In particular, if a vial will fit in a 2x3 inch tray, but is longer than 2 inches (i.e. will not fit across the short dimension), the tray should be placed with its long axis parallel to the drawer motion.

Primary Specimen Label holder

The Primary Specimen Label holder is a mylar folder.  Place the Primary Specimen Label in the folder, with the top of the label against the fold.  Cut the mylar folder to the same width as the Primary Specimen Label.  Cut the mylar folder  so it is longer (top-to-bottom) than the Primary Specimen Label by 1 1/2 inches.  Fold the mylar folder at the bottom of the Primary Specimen Label.  The fold should form a base 90° to the label.  Position the base of the mylar folder in the bottom of the specimen tray.  Place the foam tray liner on top of the base of the mylar folder.  The result should be a Primary Specimen Label standing up at the back of the specimen tray, sandwiched by the mylar folder.

1. Placement and orientation of the Primary Specimen Label in the tray
   1. The preferred orientation for all Primary Specimen Labels is with the printed side toward the front of the drawer.  When anyone opens the drawer, all the specimen labels are immediately visible.  If, for any reason, the label must be turned sideways, the printed side should face to the right.  This allows for all turned labels to be viewed from one position. 
   2. The Primary Specimen Labels should be placed at the left edge of the tray.  This will make all the specimen labels in a column appear one-behind-the-other.  The specimen numbers and other label information will be much easier to scan visually when searching for specific numbers or data.  The labels will be easier to scan with the bar code reader when the labels are lined up in a column.

Placement and orientation of  Secondary Specimen Labels

Secondary Specimen Label is placed behind the Primary Specimen Label, with the printed side facing toward the back of the drawer (in standard tray and specimen label orientation), and upside down.  This allows the researcher or collections worker to read the Secondary Specimen Label by tipping the mylar folder with specimen labels forward and down.  The mylar folder and with labels is very flexible, therefore the action of tipping the mylar folder will not disturb the specimen or tray.

Splitting specimens from a single tray

• procedure yet to be developed

Providing middle-fill space for unprocessed fossils

Suggested:  Until the entire collection has been re-curated, ample space should be left in each drawer for middle-fill addition of specimens.  A minimum of about 10% of the drawer should be left empty for the additions.  In some cases extra drawer spaces, or entire cabinets must be left vacant for larger groups of fossils not yet processed.