Steve,
  I volunteer at the Carnegie Museum and one of the tasks that I work on
is incorporating donated collections into the systematic collection.  Is
it easy?  Usually not.  People often use indecipherable codes for
locations that limit the usefulness of their specimens.  The procedure
that I follow is to look at each specimen and attempt to make a
preliminary identification to the species level. If the lot has good
locality data it goes on the shelf.  If it does not have good locality
data it goes on the shelf if we either do not have that taxa already or if
we only have a few representatives.  If we have lots with poor data that
are well represented in the collection, the specimen is not incorporated
in the collection.  It then is stored in an area where programs such as
discovery rooms, traveling exhibits, etc. can draw from if they so desire.
Snce private collections of a general nature tend to focus on the common
specimens, cowries, cones, murexs, etc. the identification work is not too
difficult.  I've had to identify few unionids, terrestrial gastropods,
etc.
  My own private collection, which will be donated to the Carnegie when
I'm old and gray is curated according to the museum's standards.  I use
trays that match the sized of those in the museum's drawers.  My labels
and trays are of acid free paper, the inks that I use are archival.  I
have a bound log book that has all the information for each lot of shells
and a label with each lot.  Each specimen had a catalog number on it or if
the specimen is too small, it is in a shell vial with a slip of paper with
a catalog number.  When the museum gets my collection it will be
incorporated into their systematic collection with minimal difficulty.  My
family knows where my collection is to go in the event of my death and my
will specifically states that my collection of specimens and books go to
the Carnegie.  It will not linger in the basement or risk being tossed out
in the garbage.  I have put too much time into the collection and it
contains too much useful information.  Part of the library and colection
is already in a cabinet at the museum.  It allws me to complete some of my
work down there and keeps my basement from getting cluttered! :-)
It should be obvious that I also have a very good working relationship
with the curator of the Section of Invertebrate Zoology.
  There is one collection that we are acquiring that I am heartbroken
over.  The gentleman lived in the eastern portion of Pennsylvania.  He
passed away without leaving and directions of what is to be done with his
shell collection upon his death.  A relative from the Pittsburgh area
rented a truck to go save it from being THROWN OUT by other family
members.  Understand that this gent traveled a lot and his collection
fills approx. 40 boxes.  When I went to evaluate it for possible
acquisition by the museum I was impressed with the breath of the
collection. About 30% of the lots included labels.  Virtually all the
other lots had a slip with a catalog number.  I asked the family if I
could see the catalogs and they asked "what catalogs".  Apparently, before
they could save the collection, the house was cleaned out, most of the
books and personal papers disposed of, and to the best of our knowledge
the catalogs as well.  Here was a colection that was assiduously put
together by this man, and because of a minor oversight, only about 30% of
it will be of lasting scientific value.
  It is because of stories like this that I will be hosting a workshop at
the 1999 American Malacological Union meeting on curatorial practicies for
the amateur collector.  Those presenting are well known to the members of
this list: Gary Rosenberg, Jose Leal, Tim Pearce, Kevin Cummings, Dick
Petite and myself (probably the least know of this panel).  We will be
touching on topics such as what are archival practices, how to institute
them and where to get supplies; how to set up a computer database; how to
work with a museum to see that your collection can be maintained to make
its' acquisition easier; how to foster a working relationship between the
amateur and professional community that will benefit both groups;
information on the malacological literature; unionids, how to collect
then, how to curate them (this will tie in with the field trip to a local
river).  Any amateurs interested in participating can sign up for the day
or for the whole conference.  This workshop will be one Wed. July 7th.
I believe that registration information will be available at the AMU
website in the near future.  Hopefully, if enough of us follow these
practices, collections will not be thrown out and will not sit for years
before they can be incorporated into the research collections of museums.
  And before I am crucified, please let me say that although I would like
to see all the magnificent collections out there eventually be
incorporated into museums, I realize that this will not happen.  Some will
be sold for profit, some sold to benefit clubs, some given or willed from
one collector to his/her friends, and some left to be used to sow the
seeds that will develop the next generation of collectors.  We can still
apply high standards of curation to any of these collections for the
benefit of the recipients.
  It's late, I'm beginning to ramble, my spelling is degenerating and I'm
going to bed.  If anyone would like more info on the AMU Workshop let me
know.  Otherwise all comments and thoughts are eagerly awaited upon my
arising is a few hours.  I relinquish the soapbox to the next speaker!
 
 Charlie
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Charlie Sturm, Jr
Research Associate - Section of Invertebrate Zoology
                     Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Assistant Professor - Family Medicine
 
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