Workshop

Entomological Collections Management Workshop 2024

Registration link:  https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/b5aa86e15d8c4e73b5e8e3b1e2f2e393
We are pleased to announce details on the 6th offering of the Entomological Collections Management Workshop. This hybrid model will be held both in-person at the Peabody Museum on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, CT, USA and virtually from July 28-31, 2024. The workshop will be led by co-instructors Dr. Floyd W. Shockley (Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History) and Dr. David G. Furth (Furth Museum Consulting), with guest lectures from local host Dr. Lawrence Gall, other Peabody staff, and from numerous remote collaborators. At the moment, this is the final offering in this series, but we are contemplating adding a bonus year in Summer 2025, with location TBD.
We will once again offer up to twenty USD $1,000 travel scholarships to in-person participants. These are restricted by NSF to participants from the USA. International applicants are encouraged to apply for virtual attendance to reduce travel costs. If interested in applying for a travel scholarship, complete the justification statement during registration. If you have partial to full institutional support, we encourage using it to cover your registration and travel so we can fill the need of as many participants as possible. We are capping the attendance at 25 in-person participants and 25 virtual participants to maximize interaction between participants and with instructors. Because of high demand and to enable us to review all applications thoroughly, this year we are limiting the number of applications to 50 for in-person and 50 for virtual to fill the 25 slots each. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible because the registration website will close when we reach 50 of each.
Details
Registration fee: $125 in-person/$75 virtual
Registration open: March 1
Registration deadline: March 31, 2024. Those who are selected will receive a follow up email with a link to pay the registration fee.
Applications are evaluated for both in-person and virtual attendance, based on a short (1-page maximum) summary on why you want to attend this workshop. This essay is a requirement for all applicants, whether you are requesting funding or not and regardless of if you are attending in-person or virtually. Failure to upload an essay will disqualify you for selection to attend. Evaluation of essays will be based on a rubric that is broken down on the registration page.

Questions and comments should be directed to the workshop team (workshop@ecnweb.org).
Registration specific issues or questions can be sent to accounts@entsoc.org.
Workshop Sponsors Entomological Collections Network (ECN) Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity Section (SysEB) of the Entomological Society of America (ESA)

General Topics Covered

Collection digitization techniques, management and workflows
Collections management policies, procedures, plans, mission statements
Collection Profiling/Assessment
Kinds of collections (para-collections, teaching/exhibits, etc.)
Specimen packing & shipping
Specimen preparation & labeling
Storage: compactors, cabinets, drawers, trays (pinned, ethanol, slides)
Collection curation: arrangement, standardization, loans
Collection conservation (e.g., environmental monitoring, T & RH, materials interactions, etc.)
IPM (fumigants, freezing, etc.)
Permitting (endangered/threatened species, IUCN, etc. lists)
Moving collections
Orphaned collection & deactivation
Collections management literature
Useful websites & vendors
Archives & libraries
Value of collections
Deeds of gift Outreach (tours, public education, etc.)
Personnel: volunteers, work study, interns, research associates/collaborators, contractors, supervision, etc.
Security issues (access, theft)
Building issues & planning (physical plant, architects, floor loading, etc.)

Individuals who complete the training program will receive a Certificate of Completion acknowledging their expertise in Entomological Collections Management and Best Practices, an electronic copy of all lectures, and PDF’s of relevant literature. ECN will also be creating and maintaining a registry of individuals who have completed the course as a permanent form of documentation.