LOANS OF HERBARIUM SPECIMENS

    Loans of specimens for the purposes of scholarly study to herbaria recognized in Index Herbariorum upon approval, by the Curator of the Herbarium, of a request for the loan. Researchers should list the taxa (including synonyms if appropriate) that are sought, whether material from specific geographic locations is needed, and whether a particular number of specimens are being requested. Researchers who seek to remove material from specimens (e.g., for pollen studies or DNA extraction) should request permission at the time of the loan and identify the amount and kind of material to be removed.

    When the specimen loan arrives, the researcher should count the number of sheets that were received and check this against the number reported to have been sent. This number and the condition of the specimens must be reported to the TROY Herbarium as soon as possible. Specimens must be stored in herbarium cabinets during the duration of the loan. Loans are typically made for one year and specimens should be annotated prior to their return.

USE OF SPECIMENS BY TROY FACULITY

Faculty wishing to use specimens deposited in the herbarium for research should generally follow the guidelines for loans. Researchers should contact one of the Curators with a list the taxa (including synonyms if appropriate) that are sought, whether material from specific geographic locations is needed, and whether a particular number of specimens are being requested. Researchers who seek to remove material from specimens (e.g., for pollen studies or DNA extraction) should request permission at the time of the loan and identify the amount and kind of material to be removed.  No specimens should be remove from the herbarium without the permission of one of the Curators.

 Specimens must be stored in herbarium cabinets or insect proof boxes while they are under study.  It is the faculty members duty to insure that specimens are handled in an appropriate manner by students under their guidance. Specimens should be returned to one of the Curators at the end of the study. Once specimens have been checked and any annotations made in the data base, the specimens must be frozen for 24 hours before they are refiled in the collection. NO SPECIMENS SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE CABINETS AND RETURNED WITHOUT BEING FROZEN.

Due to the fragile nature of herbarium specimens and their importance as vouchers for research studies, they are not generally available for use by classes. Instructors should assemble a “teaching collection” of common species they use in their class for general use by students. The Curators may be able to assist with obtaining these specimens.

EXCHANGE PROGRAM

   Unmounted vascular plant specimens from various southern Alabama localities are available on an exchange basis. In order to increase the diversity of our collection, we are interested in receiving specimens primarily from central and north Alabama and also from throughout the Southeastern United States. For inquiries about possible specimen exchanges, please contact the appropriate Curator.