Dear Mollusca,
   We are evaluating our specimen conservation practices and environment at
the Delaware Museum of Natural History. The subject of cotton gloves has
arisen. Wearing cotton gloves has already been encouraged for handling old
library materials and for handling vertebrate mounts and study skins. Cotton
gloves helps conserve the materials by keeping oils from the hands off the
books and specimens. A conservator recently suggested we should wear cotton
gloves when handling mollusk shells.
   Do museum staff at other institutions wear gloves or other hand
protection when handling mollusk specimens? If not, do you think you (they)
should?
   On a related subject, on the subject of oil, I sometimes mount mollusk
specimens on plasticine (oil clay) when I need them in a particular
orientation for photography or drawing. Is this oil a concern to the
specimen conservation? If so, what is a better method for mounting
specimens?
   Thank you very much,

Timothy A. Pearce, Ph.D., Curator of Mollusks
Delaware Museum of Natural History
Box 3937, 4840 Kennett Pike        302-658-9111 x319
Wilmington, DE 19807-0937, USA    [log in to unmask]