Museum of Southwestern Biology
Division of Arthropods

 Museum Specimens, Literature, Equipment Acquisitions/Donations

The Arthropod Museum accepts arthropod specimens, equipment, and literature from individuals and institutions for incorporation into the museum. Specimens from the American Southwest and from northern Mexico are given priority for acquisition into the arthropod collection and database. All specimens must be properly labeled (see Specimen Label Instruction Form), or at least in series with proper locality labels. All specimens also must be properly preserved, including those pinned, or those mounted on microscope slides, or preserved in 70% ethanol. People wishing to donate arthropod specimens must first contact the Curator or the Collection Manager. The specimens will be evaluated for acceptance. Specimens accepted for acquisition will be incorporated into the museum collection, and label information will be incorporated into the museum specimen database.

Non-specimen items such as arthropod literature, field collecting equipment, or museum equipment will be evaluated and accepted depending upon condition and museum needs. All literature and equipment donation requests should be made to the Curator or the Collection Manager.

Once specimens, literature, or equipment have been donated to the Arthropod Museum, the donator will receive a formal letter of acknowledgement from the Curator or from the Collection Manager. All donations records will be maintained in a database. Donations to the Arthropod Museum are permanent agreements, and donated materials will not be returned to the owner.

The Arthropod Museum does not provide monetary value estimates of donated materials for personal tax purposes. Individuals who donate materials to the museum may obtain monetary estimates elsewhere, but not from the MSB.  

  
Museum of Southwestern Biology
Division of Arthropods
Department of Biology
The University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131