University Museum Gets Grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services

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Nancy McCartney examines a spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) study skin from the Dr. J.A. Sealander collection.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University Museum of the University of Arkansas has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to rehouse its collection of mammal skins. The grant will ensure the storage of these specimens meets the highest standards of care and management of natural history collections, while also making them more accessible to researchers and faculty.

The museum was one of 170 projects, out of 597 applicants, selected to receive funding. The museum will match the grant with a $38,000 cost share through contributions of staff time and work, making the project’s total cost around $70,000. The project will begin on October 1, 2013 and end on May 31, 2015.

The University Museum will use the grant funds to purchase 11 cabinets and acid-free materials for storage. These are intended to decrease unnecessary handling of specimens, helping to make them available for future generations. The specimens will be organized in proper taxonomical order, and records will be updated in the collections’ database as well as in the VertNet national database of vertebrate collections. The team will also generate updated inventory lists and properly label specimens.

The project team includes Nancy McCartney, curator of zoology and principal investigator; Binod Regmi, zoology graduate student; Maria Munoz, zoology work-study student; and Mary Suter, curator of collections.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Their mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, cultural and civic engagement. The institute’s grant making, policy development and research helps libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. For information visit www.imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.